Trusting Malfoy
by HufflepuffMommy
Summary: Hermione's memories are gone. Fearing everyone, including Harry and Ron, Hermione finds herself drawn to Draco Malfoy, trusting him to keep her safe and help her recover her memories. Draco teams up with Harry and Ron in finding the culprit behind everything. Times have definitely changed! Draco/Hermione. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! It's me again! I was going to wait to post this story, but I am very impatient and wanted to share it with all of you lovely readers!**  
 **This is my attempt at a darker story (don't worry, there will still be plenty of fluff and smut and joking around). It's not complete but I've been chipping away at it the past few days and as long as I don't get any writers block, I hoping to finish it soon!**  
 *****Trigger Warning for the story: Rape, abuse, and language. And of course, smut.*****  
 **Major thanks to my Hufflepuff-Twin,** _ **Sweet Little Buttlet**_ **for beta-ing** **!**

* * *

Draco stepped out of the entrance of St. Mungo's and yawned. He had just gotten done working his third 12-hour shift in a row and he to say he was exhausted was an understatement. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was just after 2 in the morning. After another yawn, he contemplated if he should walk home or risk apparition. Stepping out into the street, he noted that the weather was on the chilly side, but there was no rain or snow in the air. Tightening his jacket around him, he decided to walk the four blocks to his flat instead. His co-workers had always asked why didn't just floo home after such a long day and he would always shrug and say that he hated getting dirty. They would laugh and he would grin and everyone would go back to whatever it was they were doing. The truth was though, he didn't use the floo because he didn't have his place connected to the network. He had a fireplace, and the ability to set it up, but he chose not too after moving into his fairly spacious flat in Muggle London. He didn't like unwanted visitors and even with wards up, there were always ways around them. He liked his privacy, and if anyone wanted to visit him, they could ring the doorbell and wait to see if he answered, just like any other normal person.

That was the problem though... he _wasn't_ normal. At least not in his building, where he presumed he was the only wizard living there. He hadn't felt any other magic besides his own so there was a good chance that the other five residences were all filled with muggles.

He was also probably the only one in the building who had a criminal record and went to prison, though _that_ information wouldn't be found in any muggle law enforcement system. No, he did his time in Azkaban, a mere six months compared to his father, who would die at a very old age inside his cell.

His thoughts crept back to the time right after the war, and during his trial. Potter, of all people, and Granger, another surprise, had testified for him. They said that he was under duress and he didn't have a choice for his actions or else he and his family would be tortured, if not murdered. However, the fact of the matter was, he _had_ attempted to murder the headmaster through a cursed necklace and poisoned mead, which ultimately ended up almost killing two other innocent people (Katie Bell, yes, Weasley, eh… he was still up for debate on that), not to mention the fact that he had led not only Death Eaters, but also a werewolf into Hogwarts. The Wizengamot had ruled that he couldn't go without punishment; he was to serve five years in Azkaban. He had crumpled in his seat, both relieved and terrified. Five years was nothing compared to the life-time sentence his father and the other full-fledged Death Eater's got, but, it was still Azkaban and even though the Dementors were gone, it was still a horrid place.

McGonagall had stepped forward and offered another proposal: Serve one year in Azkaban and if he did well, he be released and under house arrest for the other year, where he could use that time to prepare and study for his N.E. ., which he would be required to take. Once his N.E.W.T.S. were taken, he would then be under probation the last three years until his sentence was served. Draco didn't think the Wizengamot would go for it but after a long and careful two days of deliberation, they had agreed.

The first few weeks in Azkaban were quite possibly the second most horrible experience he had ever encountered; the first being Voldemort himself taking residence in his home and torturing him and his family. He had a cell to himself, which was the only thing going for him, and he tried to keep low and not get himself noticed, but his hair was too hard to hide and go unnoticed. He quickly found out just how many people despised him in that place.

The first time he got beat up, was on the walk back from the chow hall. Someone had "accidentally" pushed him into some cell bars while another "accidentally" tried to help him by punching his face while another person "accidentally" held him back. The guards looked him over, said he'd live, and had him go back to his cell, not bothering to heal any wounds. He spat out blood from his mouth and found a chip from one of his teeth that had broken off.

When he went almost a week without another incident, he thought that maybe they got it out of their system. In reality, they were waiting for his current wounds to heal to do it all over again. This went on for weeks, then months.

Then one day he was notified of a visitor and stared suspiciously at McGonagall, who was sitting on the other side of the charmed glass.

"How are you, Draco?" she had asked primly.

Draco glared, "How the _fuck_ do you think I am?"

"I came to see how you have been faring. I have been told that you have been part of many fights since arriving almost five months ago," she glanced at him over her glasses, assessing him.

He chuckled darkly, "If you call being held down and beat up a 'fight', then yeah, I guess that's pretty damn accurate."

She frowned, and picked up a briefcase that was set on the floor and began rifling through some paperwork. "There is no mention here of you being held down, just that you have been fighting."

"Well of course they aren't going to fucking say that in the reports," he spat angrily, "I'm surprised they even _made_ reports in the first place."

"They usually don't, but seeing as how I'm trying to get you out of here before your year is up, I asked them to keep a file on you to see if you've, earned it, in a way."

Draco shook his head, "There's no way they'll let you get me out of here before my year is up. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing - keeping low, not talking to anyone, block out the beatings. I'll survive."

McGonagall looked at him, "I'm going to talk to the Minister. See if he'll pull you out of here since it seems the prisoners are just using you as their personal punching bag while the guards turn a blind eye and file inaccurate reports."

"Why do you even fucking care?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Because, Mr. Malfoy," she said as she stood up, "You may have deserved some punishment, but certainly not this." She looked angrily around her surroundings before facing him again, "I'll see what I can do."

"I won't hold my breath," he said, crossing his arms across his chest in a huff.

She shook her head and turned to walk away when he spoke up, "Have… how's my mother?".

She gave him a small smile, "She's doing well. Misses you, of course, and wishes to see you. But her house arrest will simply not allow that. If I have my way, you two might be reunited once again."

He gave her a nod, which she returned, and walked out of the room.

Three weeks, two beatings later, and one incident in the showers, he was released. Everything else after that seemed to go in a blur - his mother telling him she was moving to France as soon as her house arrest was done; McGonagall pressuring him into studying for his N.E.W.T.S. while he was on a year and a half of house arrest; being allowed to move out of the manor when his mother left; studying, studying, studying; testing; more studying, more testing. Applying for the Healer's program after he passed his N.E.W.T.S. with all Outstandings and losing sleep from the sheer anxiety over it; getting accepted into the program; taking classes; trying to prove he was not a Death Eater to his professors and classmates; more classes; hands on learning at St. Mungo's; getting his Healer license; and finally, _finally_ , feeling a sense of self worth.

It had been rocky and he had to work extra hard to earn the trust and respect he now had. After almost three years of being a Healer, he was finally at a point in his life where people didn't flinch, shy away, or request another Healer upon seeing him. Granted, most of his clients were children, in the pediatric ward, but still, it was nice not being judged by his past.

He smiled to himself as he remembered little Sally Bennett, who's little brother had somehow gotten a hold of their father's wand and made welts the size of golfballs all over her body. After a quick examination, a counter spell, and a lolli, little Sally was happy and bouncing out of the room.

If he had been paying attention, instead of recalling how the little girl had shyly called him "Mr Draco" before asking her mother if he could come over for dinner, maybe then he would have seen the hand lying on the ground, instead of tripping over it.

"What the-" he said, looking to the ground to see what caught his foot. He paled slightly when he saw a hand protruding out from an alleyway, lying on the ground. He walked slowly towards the hand and noted that it was attached to an arm… as well as a body. A very naked, bruised, and beaten body.

Healer mode kicking in, he rushed over to the person, who was laying on their side, their long, blood-matted hair covering their face and chest. Draco cursed under his breath, realizing it was a young woman. He placed two fingers at the her wrist and was relieved to find a faint pulse. A groan escaped from her lips.

"Hello? Are you awake? I'm a Heal-I'm a doctor," he amended quickly, unsure if the person was Muggle or Magic. "I'm just going to assess some of your injuries before I move you, ok?"

No answer. He really wasn't expecting one as he began to look her over and assess her injuries. The nails on her fingers and toes were either ripped or grounded off. She had what looked like bruises and gashes all over her body. Whip marks, maybe? The amount of blood and matting near her vagina concluded rape as well. He touched her shoulder gently and felt how cold she was and cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner. He ripped off his jacket and covered her the best he could. He moved his hand to the face of the victim, almost afraid to see what damage had been done there. He parted the hair half way, tucking it behind her ear and saw that her face was just as bad as he expected; black eyes, bloody lips, gashes on the cheeks, hand marks around her neck. It wasn't until he sat back, trying to determine if he should bring her to St. Mungo's or to the nearest Muggle hospital, that he glanced down at her again and gasped.

How could he have not noticed sooner? This had to be a mistake… this woman, from the looks of her wounds and personal experience, had been tortured for weeks. He hadn't read anything in the Prophet about her being missing, but that could either have been a cover up or no one knew. No, not possible. Not with her nosy gits as friends.

She moaned again, bringing his attention back to her. Without thinking, he scooped her up, cradling her head against his chest.

"Don't worry, I've got you. Just.. don't die, ok? I'm taking you to Mungo's, ok, Granger? Just.. don't fucking die, alright?"

He looked around quickly for any muggles about, before apparating them away with a loud _pop_.

* * *

 **A/N: And there we have it! The first chapter! What did you think? Please leave a review and make sure to follow the story for updates and you can also follow me on Twitter at HufflepuffMom82.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! What a great response to the first chapter! I'm so excited that _you_ guys are so excited! Here is the second chapter, though only half the size of the first chapter, sorry! Hope you still enjoy it! **

* * *

"What happened?" The emergency healer asked as Draco apparated into the emergency room lobby.

"I don't know! I just found her-"

"Where?"

"Some alleyway near my flat…Corner of Watson and Felton, I tripped over her hand-"

"Alright, thanks Healer Malfoy, we'll take her from here."

"I can help," he argued, his arms tightening slightly around her form.

"You know the rules, you can't work on those you know."

"Everyone knows her! She's Hermione _fucking_ Granger!"

"Yes, but you went to school with her and you have history-"

"I haven't seen her in five bloody years!"

"Mr. Malfoy. I kindly ask that you please _calm_ down and refrain from that sort of language, _especially_ in the lobby. We will take her back and assess her wounds. If you want, you can check in on her when we're done. Now _move_ and let us do our job!"

He watched as she was levitated and placed on a gurney before taken back into the emergency part of St. Mungo's. He cursed under his breath and paced a few times. He looked down at his shirt, now stained with her blood. Her very _normal_ looking blood. He knew, had for a while, that her's wasn't really muddy, and he cursed himself again for ever thinking it. He ran his fingers through his hair before finally sitting in one of the lobby chairs.

He had to figure out what to do. Should he just leave her here? Let Potter or Weasley know? He glanced at his watch and figured they probably wouldn't like getting woken up in the middle of the night, but, this _was_ their precious Granger; they'd probably be more pissed if they didn't know. With a heavy sigh, he got up and made his way to his office, deciding he'd try Potter first.

He opened the jar of floo powder and hesitated, then groaned, "This is going to be a really, bad idea…" He tossed the powder into the floo, got onto his knees to stick his head into the green flames, and yelled "Potter residence!"

In a flash, a living room came to view. It was dark, not a surprise seeing as how it was after two in the morning.

"Potter!" he yelled. "Potter! Wake up!"

He waited a few minutes to see if he could hear anything before yelling again.

All of a sudden, the room lit up brightly, making him wince, and Harry and Ginny were both kneeling in front of the fireplace.

"Malfoy?" asked Harry, thoroughly confused. He blinked a few times before his face twisted into annoyance and said in a harsh whisper, "Why are you yelling for me in the middle of the night! You're going to wake up-"

"Potter, shut up and listen to me. Granger is here. At St, Mungo's. Something's happened to her."

Harry's face turned serious, "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. As much as it pains for me to say this, you should probably come here so I can fill you in. Just say 'St. Mungo's, Healer Malfoy's office' to get through."

Harry looked to his wife and Ginny put a hand on Harry's shoulder, giving him a nod, urging him to go. Harry looked back at Draco, "I'll be there in a minute. Just need to change."

"Well thank goodness your wife gave you permission," he said with an eye roll. Before Harry could say anything he snapped out, "Just hurry!" and ended the floo call.

He paced his office twice before Harry emerged, "Took you bloody long enough."

Harry glared at him before taking a breath, "Tell me what happened to Hermione."

Draco finally stopped his pacing and faced Harry. "I honestly don't know. I was walking home from work and I literally stumbled upon her. She was in an alleyway. She…" he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "She was naked. Beaten. Bloody. Pretty sure she was raped too." His eyes snapped to Harry, who gone pale as he sat in a chair in the office. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"What?" Harry rasped out, still absorbing the information.

"When was the last time you saw her, Potter?" Draco snapped.

"A few weeks ago. She… she was getting ready to take a vacation. We hadn't heard from her, but we figured she was just keeping busy. I... damnit!" Harry exclaimed, banging a fist on Draco's desk, in either frustration or anger, Draco couldn't tell. "How could this have had happened?"

"I don't know, but I don't think she ever made it to her vacation," muttered Draco.

Harry looked up at Draco, "I want to see her. Now."

Draco scoffed, "Good luck with that. They're working on her at the moment."

Harry stood, determination in his eyes, "Watch me." He left the room, Draco cursing under his breath once again before following behind.

* * *

Draco tried his best to keep the smug look off his face when even the great 'Harry bloody Potter' couldn't see Hermione.

"The emergency healers are almost finished. There were was a lot of damage and she lost a lot of blood. Not to mention the dehydration and starvation…"

"How long till she's awake?" Harry asked.

"That will be up to her. She'll need time to let her body heal. It could be hours, or it could be days. Only time will tell. We'll let you know when you can see her, Mr. Potter."

With a huff, Harry sat down in the lobby next to Draco. After a few silent moments Harry glanced at Draco, "Thanks, by the way. For bringing her in. She probably wouldn't have..." he shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

Draco gave a careless shrug, "It's fine. I would have done it to anyone I saw in that condition."

Harry nodded absently, leaning back in the chair and looking up at the ceiling. He glanced at the blond again, "Don't take this the wrong way, but, why are you still here? It's not like you actually care about Hermione."

"I..." Draco started, then realized he really didn't have a reason, so he gave another shrug and said, "You're right, I don't." He stood up, brushed off some lint from his pants and said, "See ya, Potter."

Harry, now leaning his elbows on his knees, grunted his reply and kept staring at the door he knew Hermione was behind.

Wide awake now, Draco apparated into his flat, not wanting to risk stumbling upon another broken and beaten classmate, even if they were insufferable know-it-all, bushy-haired girls.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: And here's Chapter 3! Also another shortish chapter, but the next few after this one are a bit longer.**

* * *

When Draco arrived the next afternoon in his office, he told himself it was to gather the paperwork he needed to work on, _not_ to check in on Granger. It was technically his day off, but there was no rule about coming into the office.

However, since he was here, he figured it wouldn't hurt to at least see how she was doing. He walked towards the room he knew she was occupying and peered in. Granger looked marginally better, though she still seemed to be unconscious. Potter was sitting in a chair next to her, his head lolled to the side, asleep.

He thought about just leaving, but before he could clearly form the idea, his feet were walking him into the room. He stood next to Potter and cleared his throat. When nothing happened, he rolled his eyes and cleared his throat again, louder this time. He suppressed a grin when Harry nearly jumped out of his seat. He leaned forward and his face shone with disappointment when he realized that Hermione was still asleep.

Draco stepped over to her charts and began flipping through them when Harry finally noticed him.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, rolling his head side to side to help the ache in his neck.

"Just seeing if I was right about her injuries," Draco stated. He noted that he was correct in almost everything but had missed the broken ribs, fractured wrist, and random dislocated toes and fingers. He eyed Harry as he set her chart down, "Have you gone home at all since you came in last night? You look like shit."

Harry scowled, "I haven't, actually. When one of my friends needs me-"

"She's unconscious. There isn't much you can do."

"But if she wakes-"

"Then I'm sure someone will notify you."

Harry shook his head, "I don't want her to be alone when she wakes up."

Draco sighed, "Fine. I'll stay with her."

Harry blinked a few times in surprise, "You.. what?"

"I'll stay. It's my day off anyways so it's not like it's an inconvenience. I was planning to work on paperwork in my office, but I suppose I can hang out here until you or one of the Weasel's show up."

Harry looked at him suspiciously, "Why?"

Draco grumbled, "Look, I'm a Healer. I'll watch her. If she wakes up, I'll floo-call you again. But the chart says she probably won't wake for a few more days at the least. You'll be no good to her if she wakes up and you're dead on your feet from not sleeping."

Harry mulled it over. _The ferret had a point. Damnit._

"Fine. I'll go home and sleep and see if I can get anyone else to watch over her. Also, just send a patronus; it's faster."

"Fine, whatever. Just go," he said irritably. He wasn't about to tell Scarhead that he never learned how to make a patronus. He'd just get another healer to send one if Granger did happen to awake.

When Harry finally left, Draco took his spot, though he pushed the chair a bit further away so he could rest his feet on the bed. He glanced at Hermione who had not moved since he arrived. He sighed, shook his head, and began flipping through the paperwork he needed to get done.

* * *

Two weeks went by and nothing had changed. Hermione was still in a magical coma and much to Draco's chagrin, the Potter's and the Weasley's were visiting on a daily basis, sometimes for hours. It wasn't until evening time, when visitors were asked to leave, that Draco would stop by and check on Hermione himself.

One evening, he opened the door to the room to find Harry and a little boy who seemed to be not much older than 2. Draco entered and cleared his throat, "Visiting hours are over, Potter. Time for you and that spawn of yours to beat it."

Harry glared but stood up, placing his mini-me on his hip, "We were just heading out. I brought James over because he's been asking about her and wouldn't let up." He eyed Draco, "Why are you here? Aren't you in pediatrics?"

Draco walked over to her chart and began flipping through it, "I come in from time to time to see if she's gotten better so this place can stop being overrun by the likes of you."

"Trust me, we wish we didn't have to be here either, but," he looked at Hermione, "we're not going to stop until she wakes up, so you might as well get used to us hanging around." Harry brought his attention to his son, who was looking between the two men with interest, "Say goodbye to Aunt Hermione, James."

The little boy looked over to the woman in the bed and gave a tiny wave, "Bye-bye Aunt Her-Minnie." The little boy eyed Draco wearily before burying his face into his father's neck.

"See ya, Malfoy," said Harry as he walked towards the door.

Draco grunted a response and once Harry left the room, he sat in the seat next to Hermione's bed.

"Look, Granger, I understand you're still healing, but can you hurry it up? You're supposed to be the brightest witch of our age, so get that brain to work and fix whatever ails you and wake the hell up." He sighed, then reached into his bag, pulled out some paperwork, and worked in silence next to the sleeping witch.

* * *

Draco walked into Hermione's room one evening a few days later and began looking at her chart, when he heard a quiet, raspy voice.

"It's you."

Draco nearly dropped the clipboard as he stared at Hermione who was looking at him through slitted eyelids.

"Finally decided to join the living, did you?" he asked as he set down the chart and walked over to her. He took out his wand began shining a light in her eyes to check her pupils. She winced at the brightness and shut them tightly.

"Wh- Where…. Am… I?" she asked, her voice coming out in a strained whisper.

Draco conjured her a glass of water, "Here. Your throat is probably drier than sandpaper."

She opened her eyes slowly and took the offered glass, "Thank you."

"Right. So, I'll just go get Healer Newton and let her know that you're awake," he said, turning on his heel to leave.

"Wait," he heard her say. He stopped and looked at her, quirking a brow.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Look, Granger, let's just get your regular Healer, ok? She'll explain everything."

"Wait," she said again, and Draco turned around, irritated.

"What?" he snapped.

"Why… why do you keep calling me that?"

"What? 'Granger'?"

She nodded slowly.

Draco furrowed his brow and walked closer to her, "Do you know what your name is?"

"I..." she scrunched her brow in thought, looking down as if trying to remember, "I... I don't."

"Shit," Draco said quietly, shaking his head, "Ok. You're probably suffering from amnesia. I need to get your Healer-"

Her hand moved faster than he thought could, and she grabbed his shirt sleeve near his wrist, "Please don't leave me. I'm… I'm so confused," she said as her eyes started brimming with tears.

"Look, Granger, I can't-" he started, but before he could say anything else, Healer Newton walked into the room.

"You're awake," she said in surprise, then she looked at Draco and gave him a stern look that might actually rival McGonagall's. "Why didn't you come get me immediately, Healer Malfoy?" she asked as she walked over to Hermione and took out her wand.

Draco tried to explain that he was just about to do so when Hermione said, "What's that?"

Both Draco and Healer Newton looked at what she was pointing to; the wand in Healer Newton's hand.

"Nothing to be afraid of; it's just my wand, dear," said Newton softly.

"What… what are you going to do with it?" Hermione asked, gripping Draco's shirt sleeve even tighter.

Newton looked at Hermione questioningly before Draco interjected, "I think she's suffering from amnesia. She doesn't know her own name. She may not even remember that she's a witch," he said, looking down at her, trying to move his arm away from her discretely so she would loosen her grip on him, but was unsuccessful as she just held on tighter.

Newton was looking through Hermione's charts and adding notes to it with a quick-quote quill, "Anything else you've observed, Healer Malfoy?" she asked without looking up.

"No, that was it." He looked at Hermione but spoke to Newton, "I'm going to get a hold of Potter. He requested to be notified as soon as she woke." He tugged, probably harder than intended, and his wrist was finally wrenched free. He heard Hermione whimper a protest, but he turned quickly, and without looking back, left the confused witch to her healer.

* * *

Too many hours later, Draco finally apparated home. He tossed his coat onto an arm chair in his living room instead of the usual place on the coat rack, and slumped onto his couch. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to rid the headache he felt forming. His white persian cat, Cleopatra, hopped onto his lap and pawed at the buttons of his shirt until he started to absently rub her head. After a moment, she started to purr and rub her face into Draco's neck, making him smile and look down on her.

"I can always count on you to help me out when stressed, huh Cleo?"

Cleo mewed at him and hopped off his lap then sauntered her way to the kitchen, where her food bowl was at. He knew if he didn't get up, she would start to meow very loudly until she was fed, which was actually what she was starting to do.

"I'm coming your Highness," said Draco with a chuckle. He hoisted himself up from his couch and went to the kitchen.

After he poured some food into Cleo's bowl and she began eating, Draco began to rummage through his refrigerator to look for something to eat for himself. After staring at the contents blankly for a few moments he sighed, "Fuck it. I'm going out to eat. Cleo, no parties while I'm gone."

He could have sworn his cat rolled her eyes at him as he walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

"Ah, Malfoy. Haven't seen you in a while," said the young barkeep at the Leaky Cauldron.

Draco sat at the counter and nodded, "Been busy with work. I see the place is still in one piece. Glad to know you Hufflepuff's can keep a business afloat," said Draco, picking up a menu.

Hannah Abbott-Longbottom rolled her eyes at the blonde, "Don't worry, we'll be around for a little while yet." She gave him a smile, "I don't know why you bother to look at the menu. You always order the same thing." She plucked the menu from his hands, "Fish and crisps with a butterbeer?"

Draco nodded, "Please."

Hannah went back into the kitchens when a dark haired figure sat next to him.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Malfoy," said Harry.

"Could say the same about you, Potter," Draco drawled.

They sat in silence until Hannah returned with Draco's drink then took Harry's order, before disappearing again.

"So were you able to see her?" Draco asked.

Harry let out a grumble, causing Draco to smirk but was wise enough not to say anything as Harry spoke, "They wouldn't let me in while they were running tests on her and by the time they were done, she was too tired to receive visitors."

"Poor Potter," said Draco, "Couldn't get his way. Again."

Harry glared, though there was no malice behind it, only weariness, "Sod off Malfoy."

Hannah passed by to deliver Draco and Harry's meals.

"You know, I think I'm going to take this to go," said Draco. He took out his wand and wordlessly bagged up his food to take home. "Good luck with Granger tomorrow, Potter. You'll need it."

* * *

As Draco finished his meal in his home office while looking over paperwork, he couldn't help but glance at his ever-flowing bookshelf. One book in particular kept catching his eye and it wasn't until he realized he had been staring at it for five minutes did he finally mutter to himself about turning into a sap. He took the book from it's location and stuffed it into his work-bag, with hopes that he would get to work early enough to drop it off to a certain sleeping patient.

* * *

 **A/N: Hmmmm I wonder what the book could be...**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning found Draco standing in front of Hermione's room, hoping since it was early, that she would still be asleep. He opened the door quietly, seeking the bushy haired girl out, when his grey eyes found her brown ones, wide awake. She gave him a hesitant smile, as he opened the door the rest of the way.

"It's you again," she said, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Yes, I, uh, came to drop something off before I start my shift", he said, opening the flap to his black canvas shoulder bag.

"Oh," she said rather dejectedly, "You're not staying?"

He pulled the book out as he shook his head, "No, I work in pediatrics, a few floors above this one. I just thought maybe this will help you jog your memory or something," he said, handing her an old, worn book.

She took the book and ran her fingers along the golden embossed title. " _Hogwarts, A History_?" she asked, opening the cover to reveal a huge castle, her eyes widening.

"It's where you went to school," he explained, "You used to have that stupid book with you everywhere you went. That's my copy, but you can borrow it."

She closed the book and hugged it to her chest. "Thank you," she said softly.

He waved her off, "It was just collecting dust on my bookshelf." He glanced at the clock and said, "Well, I should head up to my floor and get ready for my appointments-"

"Will you be back?" Hermione asked hurriedly.

Draco sighed, "Look, Granger, I-"

"Hermione," she interrupted.

"What?" he asked, taken aback by the interruption.

"My name is Hermione. At least, that's what Healer Newton says. So, please, call me that," she requested.

Draco scratched the back of his head, "I've always called you 'Granger', never by your given name."

She looked at him quizzically, "So we know each other? Before…before I came here?"

"Well, we weren't friends or anything, but we were in the same year at Hogwarts, though in different houses-"

"Houses?" she asked, confused.

He nodded towards the book, "Read that, it'll explain. But like I was saying before, I've only ever called you 'Granger', so I think I'll stick with that, if it's all the same." He looked at the clock once more, "I really should go." He looked at her slightly crestfallen face, "Don't worry, I'm sure your friends will be around shortly," he said with slight annoyance in his voice.

"You don't like my, uh, friends?" she asked curiously.

Draco chuckled at shook his head, "Honestly, it's too long of a story to explain."

"Maybe you can come back and-.."

"Look," he said irritatedly, interrupting her, "I only came around before to check in on you while you were in a coma. Now that you're awake, you probably won't see much of me. We're not friends, Granger. I was just doing my job before, that's it. I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time then you'll remember all about our… history."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but instead, shut it and nodded, her eyes watering, "Alright. Well, thank you for the book. I'll have it returned to you shortly."

He gave a nod then turned and walked towards the door.

"I just have one more question… please," she asked.

He sighed, but turned to face her, "Alright, what is it?"

"I, uh, don't know your name..." she held up the book, "So when I'm done with this I can give it to someone to return it. I need your name to tell them who it belongs too."

"Oh, uh, Malfoy. My name's Malfoy," he opened the door and looked back once more before shutting the door quietly.

* * *

Draco was thankful for the busy day he had so far; it meant he didn't have to think about the lost witch two floors below. At the moment, he was looking over some spots on a 5 year-old blonde haired boy, who was biting his bottom lip nervously.

"Well, Isaac," Draco said after examining him, "I'm afraid that your mum is correct; you have Dragon Pox."

Isaac looked wide eyed at Draco before he grinned widely "Does this mean I'm going to turn into a dragon?" he asked excitedly.

"Uh, no," said Draco chuckling and grabbing a notepad, "They'll itch and turn scaly, but they will eventually fall off and you'll be good as new. Bad news is, no playing with friends for a few days until symptoms go away."

"Awe, that's no fun," said Isaac, pouting.

Draco smiled at the child before turning his mother, "Here you go. It's a prescription for some cream that will help with the itching and prevent any scarring. Make sure he drinks plenty of fluids, especially when he forms a fever, which will probably show up tomorrow some time."

The woman took the offered prescription and gave Draco a smile, "Thank you Healer Malfoy." She turned to her son, "Come on Isaac, let's get your medication then we'll stop and get some ice-cream on the way home, ok?"

"Yeah!" said Isaac hopping off the exam table. He turned to Draco and waved "Bye Healer Malfoy!"

Draco smiled easily at him, "Bye, kiddo."

Draco exited the exam room moments after his patient did, only to be presented with another chart from his supervisor, Healer Brown, "Malfoy, can you squeeze in one more?"

Draco sighed as he took the file, "I was just about to grab some lunch." He read the name on the patient and glanced at Healer Brown, her blue eyes behind rectangular red-framed glasses assessing him and waiting for his response. "Are you sure she wants to see _me_? I'm not their usual pediatrician."

Healer Brown shrugged, "She usually sees Healer Bones, but she's off today and it was either you or she wait until tomorrow; she didn't want to wait, so she chose to see you."

"Huh, that's a surprise," he glanced that chart again, "Ok, I'll take this one, but then I'm clocking out for lunch. And taking an extra 10 minutes."

Healer Brown smiled at him, "Deal."

Draco took a breath before walking over to the exam room the new patient was at. He opened the exam room door, finding a familiar red-head with a child that looked eerily like Potter.

"Mrs. Potter," he said cordially, nodding to her, then he looked at the child in her lap and gave him a small smile, "And this must be James, right?" he asked.

Ginny nodded, "Yes. James, say hi to Healer Malfoy."

James merely buried his face into Ginny's bosom. Ginny gave Draco a sheepish grin, "He's shy around people he doesn't know."

Draco nodded, "I saw him and Potter visiting Granger the other day. He basically did the same thing." He sat down in the chair in the room, "So what brings you in today?" he glanced that chart again, "Suspected ear infection?"

Ginny nodded, "He's been sleeping horribly and pulling at his ear. Then this morning he had a slight fever," she said, absently kissing the top of her sons head.

"Well, let me run some diagnostics and see what's going on," he said, taking out his wand from his back pocket. James eyed the wand in his hand and clutched his mother even tighter.

"Come on Jamie, it's just like with Healer Bones; Nothing will hurt sweetie," cooed Ginny.

"No!" whined James muffled voice.

Ginny gave Draco an apologetic look, "Sorry."

Draco waved her off, "It's fine, I deal with this all the time." He stuck his hand in his Healer's robe pocket and procured a red lolli, "Hey James, would you like a lollipop?" he asked.

James peeked out from his mother's chest and eyed the candy, nodding his head slightly.

"Well, why don't you sit on the exam table and I'll give you the lolli while I check you out, ok?"

"Kay," came the quiet reply from James. He climbed out of his mother's lap and she set him on the exam table. As promised, Draco gave him the lolli and James happily began sucking on it.

"Don't worry," he said to Ginny, "It's sugar free."

She gave him a smile and nodded, surprised at well he was with kids.

Draco used his wand to cast a diagnostic spell. As the spell gathered information, Ginny fiddled with a charm on her necklace nervously. Finally, the spell was done and symbols floated above James's head.

"Hm," said Draco, "He does have a slight ear infection, but he also seems to be cutting his 2yr molars, which would also explain his difficulty sleeping. I'll prescribe you some drops for his ears that will clear up the infection, as well as child pain medicine for his molars. He should be sleeping better by tonight," said Draco, writing everything down then handing Ginny the slip of paper.

"Thanks, Malfoy," she said gratefully. She looked at him and bit her lip, debating something.

He raised a brow at her, "Anything else I can help you with?"

"Well, yes, but it's not about James..." she said, trailing off.

Draco nodded, "Let me guess. Granger?"

Ginny nodded, "I was just wondering if you've heard of anything since she woke yesterday?"

"I saw her this morning actually," Draco informed, fiddling with his wand, "I dropped off a book in hopes it will help her out. She still doesn't remember anything though. As far as her injuries, she seems to be healing well, but, I'm not her regular healer so you'll want to check in with Healer Newton for anymore information."

Ginny nodded, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again and looking at the blonde healer, "Thank you, Malfoy. That… well, it helps knowing how she's doing. I know Harry and Ron were going to see her today during their lunch break." She glanced at her watch, "They're probably there now, actually. They were talking about bringing in pictures to help her remember."

Draco nodded, "Not a bad idea." He stood up and glanced at the door, "I need to get going, it's my lunch break so-"

"Oh! I'm sorry to keep you then. Go eat, and thanks again for checking over James," Ginny said as she gathered her belongings and picked up James, balancing him on her hip. "James, say goodbye to Healer Malfoy," Ginny coaxed.

His face sticky from the lolli, James smiled widely at Draco, "Bye bye Maf-oy."

Draco couldn't help at smile at the child, even if he was Potter's spawn. "Bye squirt," he said.

* * *

Meanwhile, two floors below, Harry and Ron were getting nowhere with the witch before them.

"Come on, 'Moine," said Ron, "I _know_ you'll remember us if you just look at the pictures some more."

Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him, "I _have_ been looking at these pictures, and nothing is coming to mind. I can't force my memories to return, you know."

"Why don't we try something else," suggested Harry, "Can you tell us what you _do_ remember?"

Hermione sighed, "I already went over this with the Healers. Whenever I try to think of anything that happened before I was found, I get a horrible headache. The only thing I remember is a man with really light hair picking me up, then a suction feeling before waking up again yesterday."

Harry nodded, "That was probably when Malfoy found you and apparated you here."

Hermione perked up, "So it _was_ Malfoy who found me?" she asked.

"Er, yes. Didn't he tell you?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head, "No…. I just know who he is because he dropped off a book to me this morning and I finally found out his name."

"What book?" Harry asked.

Hermione pulled a thick book from behind her pillow, "This one. He said that I always used to carry it around in school and thought maybe it would jog something."

Harry looked at Ron, then back to Hermione, "I'm.. slightly impressed he thought of that. Has it helped at all?"

Hermione shook her head again, "No, not yet." She opened the book and ran her fingers along the sketch of the castle, "I wish I could though. It was probably amazing there."

"How are we sure that it wasn't Malfoy who did this to her?" Ron asked suddenly, indicating to Hermione.

Hermione frowned and shook her head, "He _saved_ me. He wouldn't hurt me."

Ron snorted, "Yeah, right. In case he forgot to mention, we're enemies. Or, we _were_ during the war-"

"There was a war?" asked Hermione, her eyes wide in shock.

Harry scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, a few years back. I'll bring you some books and articles on it the next time we visit. Perhaps something in there will help."

Hermione nodded absently, "Ok." She stifled a yawn then looked up at Harry and Ron and said, "I'm getting tired. I think maybe you two should head out. I… I do appreciate the pictures and I promise to look at them more, but right now, I really need to rest," she said, as she yawned again.

Harry nodded, "Alright, 'Mione. We'll come back in a few hours and check in on you, ok?"

Hermione nodded as Harry stood. He went to kiss her forehead, but she shied away.

Harry looked sadly at her, but didn't say anything as he and Ron made their way to the door, giving her a small wave before they left.

Once she was alone, Hermione sighed and relaxed against her pillows. She was really tired, but she couldn't help thinking about the information she had found out… Malfoy was the one who found her, though some part of her suspected that... and there was a war which supposedly she and him were on opposite sides. "No, that can't be right," she said to herself, as her eyes started dropping. She tried staying awake, but sleep overcame her and she quickly fell into dream filled slumber.

* * *

 **A/N: So most of you guessed correctly on the book, yay! Sorry for the slow updates; I have family visiting our new place this long weekend so I've been busy. Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend (if they are having one).**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I decided to gift you all with another chapter tonight! My husband just surprised me with a night out, just me and him, so I figured I'd pass along my good mood!**  
 **Trigger warning for this chapter.**

* * *

 _Hermione woke up while lying on a cold, hard floor. Her eye still closed, she heard the distinct sound of something dripping off in the distance._

 _She tried to open her eyes, but they were crusted shut. She brought her hand to eyelids, and the movement caused pain to shoot up her arm, making her to moan in pain. She pushed through and rubbed at her eyes until whatever it was that was stuck finally crumbled away. She opened her eye slowly, her vision blurry at first. When she was finally able to focus them, she looked down at her hands and even though it was dark except for a small amount of what she assumed was moonlight, she saw that some of the crumbles from her eyes were stuck on her hands. "Blood..." she thought absently as she wiped them on her leg. She looked down and realized that she was naked, which would explain why she felt so cold. She pulled her legs up, wrapped her arms around them, and huddled on the floor, trying to remember where she was at. It was a very big, damp room; so big, that she couldn't even see the other side and she wondered briefly if there was a door._

 _As if on queue, she heard the sound of a heavy door opening and banging shut, along with two deep, manly voices chuckling._

 _One had a wand lit in front of them so that they could see her as they approached, but she couldn't see them as she squinted at the sudden brightness._

" _Well, well," said one of the voices, "Look who's finally awake."_

" _Well, do you blame her for sleeping? We did keep her rather busy yesterday, you know," the other said, chuckling darkly._

 _Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, memories of her clothes being ripped off and being held down by a strong pair of arms while another released a hard cock from his trousers. She shook her head, not wanting to re-live the memory of being raped. She opened her eyes and squinted at the light, "What do you want?" she asked._

" _What we always want," said the first voice. She heard footsteps walk towards her, the distinct sound of a belt buckle being undone. "To break you."_

 _The other man walked towards her, lowering his lit wand slightly, and she caught the color of dark red hair of one of her assultants while the other had messy, raven colored hair._

" _No.." she whispered, "No… please. Please! Stop! Why are you doing this?"_

" _Because," said the red haired man, "You deserve this." He knelt in front of her, dragging her naked body towards him by her ankles and slipping his hand inside his pants while the dark haired man held her down, smiling maniacally at her._

* * *

"STOP!" she shouted, bolting up in her bed, her eyes roaming the room widely, now wide awake. Her gown was drenched in sweat and she was close to hyperventilating. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, which proved difficult as she was shivering uncontrollably. She gathered up the thick blanket at the foot of her bed and wrapped it around herself. When she was finally breathing normally, and the shivering subsided, she leaned back in her bed, trying to go over the very vivid dream she had.

"That… that wasn't a dream…." she said to herself, her brows furrowed in confusion, "That was a memory... But… that can't possibly…"

There was a soft knock at her door, and the heads and Harry and Ron peeked in.

Harry gave her a smile and opened the door all the way, "Oh good, you're awake-"

Fear struck through her. "Get out!" she shouted at him.

Harry stopped in his tracks while Ron nearly ran into him.

"Hermione? Wha-"

"I said GET OUT!" she shouted again, pointing to the door with one hand while the other secured the blanket around her more closely.

"'Mione, what's gotten into you?," asked Ron, "Why are you yelling at us-?"

"Because…. Because it was you! Both of you!" she said, shakily. "I thought you were my friends!"

"Hermione… what are you talking about? We _are_ your friends." said Harry calmly and walking towards her slowly,.

"No! Stay away from me, just… stay away!"

"Hermione…"

"Please.. Just. Just leave me alone, ok?" she said, her eyes shut as she looked away from them.

"Come on, Ron," said Harry quietly, "Let's go."

"But, Harry-"

"We'll talk outside," said Harry, nearly pushing Ron out the door.

Once they left her room and the door was shut, Ron faced Harry, confusion etched on his face, "What the hell was that? Why is she acting like that."

"I don't know," said Harry frowning, "Let's go talk with her Healer, maybe she can figure out what happened."

* * *

Draco sat in his office, filling out the last of his paperwork for the evening when there was a knock at his door. It was already open, so when he looked up, he was surprised to Harry standing there.

"Make it quick, Potter, I'm about to head out," said Draco standing, grabbing his shoulder bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"I need a favor," said Harry.

Draco snorted, "Let me guess, it has to do with Granger?"

Harry nodded, "Ron and I, we visited her earlier today and things were going well. Then we left so she could rest and when we came back, she's yelling and screaming and won't even talk to us. We tried talking to Healer Newton but even she couldn't get anything out of her."

Draco waited for him to continue and when he didn't, he said, "...And?"

" _And_ ," said Harry, stiffly, "I was wondering if you'd talk to her. See if she opens to you."

"Why do you think she'll open up to me? I'm not her friend," Draco said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, but, she doesn't know that. And I think she…. _trusts_ you. Because you found her and brought her that book."

Draco sighed and scratched the back of his head, "Fine. I'll talk to her. But you owe me."

Harry nodded, "Yes, fine, whatever. Just please, see what happened, will you." Harry moved to the side to the let Draco through.

Draco raised a brow, "Oh, you mean now?"

Harry grumbled and rolled his eyes, "Yes, now." He looked squarely into Draco's eyes, "Please."

"You don't have to grovel Potter, I'll go talk to your precious Gryffindor Princess," said Draco mockingly.

As Draco passed Harry, it took all Harry had to not to strangle the blonde, but followed him to the lifts instead.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in the middle of her hospital bed, and like in her dream, her knees drawn up to her chest, with her arms wrapped around them. She was still trying to process her dream when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said quietly, expecting Healer Newton again. Her eyes widened in shock when Malfoy entered instead.

"Healer Malfoy…" she said, "What are you doing here?"

Draco closed the door behind him and walked over to her, hands in his pockets, "I came to see how you're doing."

She looked at him suspiciously, "Why? You said this morning that we're not friends and you wouldn't be around anymore."

Draco grimaced, "I apologize for that. We, well, we have some history between us, not the best kind either, and I'm just not used to you being so, _nice_ , to me."

Hermione relaxed slightly and gave him a small smile.

"I uh, also spoke with Potter," he started and noticed that she went rigid again, and looked away from him.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said.

"Come on Granger, don't be such a stubborn Gryffindor. They just want to know why you won't see them. Not that I blame you; they are complete prats," said Draco, trying to elicit a smile from the witch.

It worked, as small smile tugged at the side of her lips. "A little, yes," she agreed. She looked over to him slowly, noting that he was still standing. "You can sit down you know, unless you plan on running out on me again."

"Way to work the guilt there, Granger," said Draco in jest as he took a seat in the chair next to the bed. He regarded her for a moment before asking quietly, "So what happened?"

She frowned and pursed her lips before shaking her head.

"Come on. It'll help to talk about it," he said, trying to coax her. He reached into his pocket and produced a yellow lollipop. "How about a loli?" he asked, waving it slightly.

Her eyes flickered from the sweet to his face and she smiled slightly, reaching out to take the lolli. She twirled the candy in her fingers, but still didn't say anything.

Draco let out a sigh and leaned back against the chair, "Ok, how about I run through some scenarios and if I'm right, you let me know, ok?"

Hermione thought about it for a moment, before nodding, "Ok." She positioned herself so that she was facing him and scooted closer to the side of the bed, the blanket still wrapped around her.

Draco put a finger to his chin and contemplated, "From what I gathered, Potter and Weasley left so you could sleep. Did you…. have a bad dream?"

Hermione gulped and nodded slowly, "It was horrible. But.. it didn't feel like a dream.. It felt… _real_."

"Are you thinking it was a memory?" asked Draco, sitting up and leaning forward.

"I… I really don't know. I really hope it's not a memory, but, it was so vivid, it might just be..." she said, her eyes watering.

Without thinking, he reached over and placed a hand on her blanket-covered knee for comfort which caused her to jump. He removed his hand, lifting both of his in the air, "Sorry, didn't mean to make you jump."

"It's alright. It's just.. In the dream… he… they…" she tried to form the words but they wouldn't come out.

"Just take your time, think about what you want to say," he said calmly.

He could see her struggling to think as she looked down into her lap, still twirling the lolli, and bit her lower lip. Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes red and tears close to unleashing. "I was raped. In my dream. I remembered getting raped and I was about to get raped again. I… I couldn't see who they were, at first. There was a bright light in front of them, hiding their faces. But when the light was lowered, I was able to see them, _really_ see them," she said as tear slipped down her cheek.

"Who did you see, Granger?" Draco whispered.

"Ron and…. And Harry," she said, "But, that can't be true… Can it?" she asked.

Of all the people she could have said, those two were the last on his list, "Potter and Weasley? They are the ones who… who did this to you?" he asked,  
She noded, "At least, that's what happened in my memory, or dream…"

"As much as it pains me to ever side with Potter and Weasel, I'm going to have say that I highly doubt either one of those two blokes did anything like that to you. You probably saw their faces in your dream because they were the last people you saw before you fell asleep."

Hermione nodded absently, "Perhaps. But still…" she looked up at him again, "I don't feel comfortable around them. Not right now. If you see them, just say… say that I need time. Please?"

Draco sighed but nodded, "Alright. I'll pass along the message. But Granger, trust me, when I say, you have nothing to worry about with them."

"I _do_ trust you, Malfoy," she said, reaching out, placing her small hand on top his knee, "I just… that dream was all too real and my gut is telling me to not set it aside or let it go."  
Draco glanced at the hand on his knee, then up to Hermione, "Yeah, I get it. I-"

They were interrupted as her door opened again and a nurse came in, levitating a food tray, "Dinner time," she said cheerily.

Hermione quickly moved her hand from Draco's knee, and blushed. Draco stood and nodded to the nurse, "Thank you, Jackie." He turned his attention back to Hermione, "I'll let you go so you can eat in peace. Enjoy your dinner and relax. Ask Healer Newton for a Dreamless Sleep potion tonight so you can get some well needed rest, ok?"

Hermione nodded, "I will. Thank you."

Draco gave her a curt nod then left her in the hands of her nurse.

Harry and Ron were sitting outside of her room and jumped up as soon as they saw Draco.

"Well? What did she say?" asked Harry.

Draco grumbled; all he wanted to do was go home and eat some dinner. He glanced at Potter and Weasley, who were waiting on him to say something.

"Tell you what, buy me dinner at the Leaky and I'll explain everything," Draco said.

Harry's face fell, "I can't. Not tonight. I haven't been home for dinner the past two nights and Ginny will kill me if I don't show up again."

Draco shrugged. "Then I'll talk to you later," he said as he passed them.

Harry hesitated for a moment before he said, "Why don't you come over to dinner instead? Ginny always makes huge amounts incase we have last minute guests."

Draco turned and raised a brow at Potter, but realized he was serious, "I suppose I could do that."

Ron looked between the two and shook his head, "I'm going to pass. I don't think I'm quite ready to share meals with Malfoy yet. You two have fun though."

"Come on, Ron," started Harry, but Ron held up his hands.

"No, it's alright. Besides, I kind of told Susan that I'd take her out tonight, being her night off and all, so I should head over to her place."

Harry nodded, "Alright. I'll see you at the office tomorrow, ok?"

Ron nodded, "Sure. See ya Harry…. Malfoy."

As Ron left, Harry and Draco regarded each other before Harry said, "Come on Malfoy, if we're late to dinner, Ginny might decide to change the meal to liver and onions…. Again."

Draco deadpanned, then let out a chuckle, as he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, and the two of them disapparated with a _pop_ to a small house located within Godric's Hollow.

* * *

 **A/N: Nice long chapter to get you all through for a few days while I write more!  
Also, if you haven't already, you can follow me on twitter at HufflepuffMom82.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here is another chapter for you all! I only have one more completed chapter after this, but I'm still working on my story as much as I can (I didn't write any this weekend because family was visiting). Some of you have expressed worry that Harry and Ron were really behind what happened to Hermione... all I have to say is "things aren't always what they seem." Answers will come in due time!**

* * *

Harry and Draco apparated inside a yard that was enclosed by a white picket fence. One look at the neighborhood and Draco knew where they were at.

"Godric's Hollow?" he asked.

Harry nodded, "The one and only. Come on, Gin will be waiting."

Draco walked behind Potter and followed him up the porch steps. Harry opened the door and called out "Gin? I'm home."

Draco followed Harry into the house and closed the door behind him right as Ginny came out of the kitchen, "Just in time Harry, I almost thought you weren't coming… oh, uh, hello Malfoy."

Draco gave her a nod, "Evening."

"Sorry Gin, I invited him over last minute. Something happened with Hermione and he has some information to pass along, but I didn't want to be late for dinner, so.." He gave her a sheepish grin.

Ginny gave her a husband a reassuring smile, "It's fine." She looked at Draco, "I hope you like post roast."

Draco nodded, "I do, actually."

"Good, dinner will be ready in about five minutes. Harry, a word with you in the kitchen please?" she said.

Harry scratched the back of his head "Sure Gin." He looked at Malfoy, "Make yourself at home," then followed his wife.

Draco shrugged off his Healer's Robe and hung it on the coat rack near the front door. He glanced around he room and noted that it was a lot roomier than he imagined. He walked around, looking at various pictures on the mantle, most of which were of Potter and his friends or his family. He felt a tug on his shirt and looked down to see James smiling up at him. "Hi," said the toddler.

Draco smiled at the boy, "Hey there squirt. Is your ear feeling better?"

James nodded then pointed to Draco's pocket, "Lolli?" he asked.

"Sorry kid, I'm all out. Besides I don't think your mum will like you having candy before dinner," he said with a chuckle.

"You got that right," said Harry, emerging from the kitchen.

"Daddy!" said James, as he ran over to Harry and jumped into his awaiting arms.

"Hey buddy, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah!"

"Why don't you go wash your hands and we'll have dinner, ok?"

"Kay!" James wiggled out of his father's arms and ran towards a bathroom.

"Don't run!" Harry said as he smiled after his son.

"Everything alright with the Misses?" Draco asked.

"Hm?" Harry looked to Draco, "Oh, yes. She just wanted to let me know, and to pass the message along to you, that there will be no fighting between you and I at dinner, especially with James around, or else we'd find ourselves on the other end of her Bat Bogey Hex... I told her that we'll behave ourselves."

Draco snorted, "Speak for yourself."

Harry sighed, "Come on, Malfoy-"

"I was kidding, Potter. I promise to be a perfect gentleman," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah, we'll see," said Harry skeptically.

Ginny popped her head out from the kitchen doorway, "Dinner's ready, boys."

"Yay, food!" said James as he ran towards the kitchen.

"James, no running!" called Harry again, following his son.

Draco shook his head as he walked into the kitchen. There was a small table was set for four, with a booster seat in one of the chairs, which James was currently trying to climb into. Ginny was at the stove, dishing out food onto plates, and Harry was gathering drinks, so Draco walked over and lifted James into his seat.

"Dank-oo," said James.

Draco ruffled his hair, "No problem, kid."

Ginny levitated the plates to the table, "Thanks for helping him, Malfoy."

"No problem, Weasley….er, Mrs. Potter," he said, taking a seat across from the toddler.

Ginny waved him off, "We're all adults now, why don't you just call me Ginny, hm?" she said.

Draco gave her a grin and nodded, "Alright, Ginny."

"Butterbeer, Malfoy?" Harry offered from the kitchen, his head still in the refrigerator.

"Sure," said Draco. He looked at the meal before him; pot roast, mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots. He couldn't remember the last time he had a home-cooked meal that wasn't prepared by him. He looked to Ginny who was sitting next to James, "Thank you for letting me stay for dinner. Potter wanted to talk about Granger, but I was about to leave to get something eat. He said something about turning his food into liver and onions if he wasn't home on time."

Ginny giggled, "Well, that's what happens when you're late for dinner _five_ nights in a row."

"Noted," said Draco grinning.

Harry sat down at the table and placed a cold butterbeer bottle in front of Draco.

"Thanks, Potter," said Draco, taking a sip.

"Don't mention it. So, let's talk about Hermione," said Harry, shoveling some food into his mouth.

"Actually, Harry," interrupted Ginny, "why don't we wait until after dinner to talk about her?" She nodded her head towards James, who was happily playing in his mashed potatoes.

"Your wife's right; what I have to tell you should _not_ be heard by children," agreed Draco.

"That bad, huh?" asked Harry.

Draco merely nodded before turning his attention to James, "You know that the food is supposed to go _in_ your mouth, right squirt?"

James grinned at him then shoveled a huge spoonful into his little mouth. Draco chuckled, "Well, I guess that's better."

"So Malfoy, er, _Draco_ , what made you decide to become a pediatrician?" asked Ginny, sipping from her glass of water.

Draco shrugged, "I wanted to do something useful after my sentence was up and I figured kids were the least likely to judge me on my past. It's taken awhile, but even the parents now don't seem to cringe when they see me."

"Well, you're very good with kids, or at least you are with James here," she said, stroking her son's head, then making a face as her hand found some mashed potatoes.

"Well, for being Potters son, he _is_ pretty likeable," said Draco, shooting Ginny a wink.

"Hey!" said Harry.

Ginny laughed into her hand, causing Harry to shoot her a scowl, "Who's side are you on, Gin?"

"Yours dear, always," said Ginny blowing him a kiss across the table.

"Mama, kiss!" said James, puckering up his potato covered lips.

"Not until your face is clean, young man," said Ginny, taking a napkin to wipe up her son, before planting a noisy kiss on his cheek, making him giggle.

"So, Malfoy," started Harry.

"Yes, Potter?" responded Draco.

"Seen any of your former Slytherin friends, lately?"

"No, why?" asked Draco.

Harry shrugged, "Just trying to think of who might have a vendetta against Hermione and the only people I can think are from the Slytherin house," said Harry.

"You know, not everyone from my house is at horrible as you think they are," responded Draco, trying to hold back his anger.

"No, but most of them have parents who are currently wasting away in Azkaban and they might want to try and get revenge-"

"Enough!" said Ginny, looking between the two men, "We will _not_ have this discussion at the dinner table, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am," both responded guiltily. Harry and Draco shot daggers at each other with their eyes, but kept anymore comments to themselves.

Ginny cleared her throat, "So, Draco… any special person in your life?"

Draco snorted, "I'm practically married to my work. I don't have time to go out looking for a women, let alone the time it takes to court them and woo them and all that nonsense."

"Well, I'm sure once you find that special person, you'll make it work," said Ginny with a shrug.

"Doubt it, but thanks," said Draco, spearing a carrot onto his fork.

"Mama?" said James, "all done."

"Ok, sweetie, let me clean you up then you can go and play in your room for a bit, ok?"

"Kay!"

Ginny wiped up her son while Draco and Harry continued eating in silence, the tension between them lessening. Once James was out of the room, Harry said, "Let me help clear the table and then we can talk, alright?"

Draco nodded, levitating his own plate to the sink.

When Harry and Ginny finished clearing the table, and Ginny set the dishes to wash themselves, they sat down at the table again. Harry plopped a notepad and pen on the table and opened to a blank page.

"Ok, so, what can you tell us about Hermione?" asked Harry, getting down to business.

Draco sighed and slumped in his chair and mulled it over. "You know, this could go against healer-patient confidentiality, Potter."

Harry glared at him, "Cut the crap, Malfoy."

"Fine fine," he sat up, "But you're not going to like it…"

Draco re-told Harry and Ginny what Hermione had told him. At the end, Harry sat back, a stunned look on his face while Ginny looked slightly pale.

"She… she had a dream that Ron and I… did _that_ to her?"

"No wonder she didn't want to see you after she woke up," said Ginny in a sad whisper, placing her hand on top of her husbands.

"But, she has to know that we'd _never_ do anything like that," said Harry.

Draco nodded, "I told her that."

Harry blinked in surprise, "You did?"

"As much as I love our animosity towards each other Potter, that would be going a bit too far, letting her believe her two best friends would harm her like that."

"That's, well, that's awfully considerate of you, Malfoy, thanks," said Harry, still slightly stunned.

"Let's just call it even for you testifying for me, alright?" suggested Draco.

Harry gave him a grin, "Sure. Even then."

Draco nodded, "So I think the next question is: if this was a memory, did she _really_ see someone who looked like you or was her brain just filling in the blanks?"

"If someone disguised themselves to look like us that's just… just…"

"Fucked up?" supplied Draco.

Harry nodded, "I was going to go with evil, but that works too." He took a glance at Draco, "Look, I don't mean to sound accusatory or anything, but, what _can_ you tell me about your Slytherin housemates? What are they up too? Do you know if any of them might want to hurt us? Or Hermione specifically?"

Draco sat back again, intertwining his fingers behind his head, "I haven't kept up with anyone from my house, honestly. My mother keeps in touch with the other pureblood wives and she passes along information to me, so I can only tell you what I remember."

"Ok. Anything will help," said Harry, getting ready to write in his notebook.

"I'll make us some tea," said Ginny, still looking slightly pale.

"Thanks love," said Harry, giving her a smile before returning his attention to Draco.

"So let's see," Draco started, "Pansy fled the country and married some rich, french wizard. Bulstrode writes for the prophet now. Daphne Greengrass works at the Ministry, secretary to Minister of Magic, which I'm sure you knew already," he said, looking at Harry, "And her little sister, we came to find, was actually supposed to be betrothed to me. Once I was out of Azkaban however, I found the contract and tore them up, freeing her from the life as a Malfoy. She's currently studying to become a Professor at Hogwarts, Charms class, I believe."

Harry scratched down the information, "That's all good, but I highly doubt any of the girls in your house did this to her. What about the other guys? What are they up too?"

"Well, Crabbe died in a fire; but you knew that. Goyle, poor bloke, was a mess for months after the battle. Apparently he sulked at home and drank himself stupid, according to my Mother's letters. I guess he got sober a few years ago but that's the last I've heard. Zabini moved to Spain with his mother and probably sleeping with anyone with a pretty face. Nott owns a shop at Diagon Alley, apothecary I believe."

Ginny nodded, placing three mugs of tea on the table, "He does. I go there to get ingredients sometimes for myself or my mum. He's always really nice to us," she supplied.

Harry wrote down the information, "Anyone else?"

Draco shook his head, "That's all I can think of. I don't think it's anyone from my house, Potter."

"Well, all of the Death Eaters who'd want to get revenge are either in Azkaban or dead, so looks like we're back to square one," he said with a sigh.

Draco strummed his fingers along the table, thinking. "I have an idea, but..."

"What are you thinking?" asked Harry.

"Well… I can try to go into her mind and look at her dream myself. Or see if I can get real memories-"

"The healers at St. Mungo's already tried that… everything is locked up. Either someone placed the memory lock or her own subconscious doesn't want her to remember," said Harry, with a frown.

"Then, maybe I can go in and at least see the dream; see if anything looks familiar or something," he suggested.

"Going into her mind like that though, will have her see it as well.. It might set her back," said Ginny.

"True, but if we want answers-"

"No," said Harry firmly, "I think we should be able to do this without going into her mind. Unless she can finally remember magic and pull out the memory herself and we look at it through a pensive, we're going to leave her mind alone."

Draco shrugged, "Alright."

"Oh, good call on bringing her that book by the way," said Harry.

Draco shrugged again, "It's no big deal. Everyone at the school knows how much she was attached that book and it wasn't like I was using it." He looked to Harry, "Did the pictures spark any memory?"

Harry shook his head, "Nothing. I told her I'd bring in some books and articles on the war though.."

"You mentioned the war?" asked Ginny and Draco at the same time.

"Not me. Ron did," said Harry. "He was, uh, complaining about…" he looked over at Draco and gave a sheepish grin.

"Let me guess, he was complaining about _me_ and somehow the aspect of us being on opposite sides of the war was brought up?"

Harry winced and nodded, "Something like that. But Hermione stood up for you, if that helps?"

Draco snorted, "Not really, since she doesn't remember anything."

"Harry," said Ginny, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you give her the manuscript she's been working on?"

Harry's face lit up, "That's brilliant, Gin! I completely forgot she was working on that. Maybe seeing her own writing will help her."

"Manuscript?" asked Draco.

"Hermione's been working on a book about the war. She got tired of all the miss-information that people were spreading around," said Ginny.

"Sounds like something the book-worm would do," said Draco.

Harry rolled his eyes, getting up, "I'm going to her place now to get it."

"You should take Draco with you," said Ginny.

"Why?" asked both men at the same time.

"Because... Maybe whoever took her might be keeping watching over her house… if you show up there alone, you might be next," she said, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Gin, you know I can take care of myself…"

"Please? Harry? Take Draco?"

"Uh, do I get a say in this?" asked Draco.

"Not really. Not if you want dessert," said Ginny, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, then I think that depends on what the dessert is," said Draco, mirroring her stance.

"Chocolate cream pie. _Homemade_."

"Let's go, Potter, that manuscript isn't going to find itself."

* * *

 **A/N: As much as I love Draco and Hermione, I love writing for Ginny as well. I'll post another chapter in a few days! Keep up the reviews; I love reading them!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I feel like this chapter is just "meh" for some reason. Hopefully you all like it though :)**

* * *

"So this is Grangers place, huh?" Draco asked as they apparated into a screened-in porch.

"Her parents place, actually, but she lives here," said Harry, rummaging through his trousers pocket.

"Why not just knock then?" asked Draco, lifting his hand to the door.

"Because no one else is here. Her parents, uh, moved to Australia," said Harry, finally pulling out a key from his pocket. He inserted it into the deadbolt and unlocked the door. "This is a muggle neighborhood, so she locks the door the muggle way," Harry said to Draco's questioning look.

"I know what a key is for, Potter. But I'm curious as to why Granger lives in this big house, by herself, instead of a smaller place, like a flat," said Draco as he entered in the house behind Harry.

Harry sighed, "It's a long story... well, not really _long_ , just more of it's none of your business. Now, keep an eye out while I go look for that manuscript."

Draco rolled his eyes but followed Harry up the stairs. They walked down a short hallway and Harry entered a room that looked like it was once a girls bedroom with a twin size bed pushed up against the wall, but now turned into an office, as a huge desk took up the majority of the space.

"Granger's room?" Draco asked, picking up a stuffed animal that was on a shelf.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, or least it used to be. She uses it for an office. She sleeps in the master bedroom now."

Harry rummaged around the large desk that was up against a light purple colored wall. "I know it's in here somewhere… a-ha!" he said, finding a locked drawer. "Hm… locked. I wonder if a key is around here…"

"Allow me," said Draco, going up to the locked drawer, his wand out, " _Alohomora_." The lock on the drawer clicked and Draco pulled open the drawer effortlessly. He smirked at Harry. "Just because she's in a muggle home, doesn't mean she doesn't use magic."

"And what would you know about muggle homes?" asked Harry, pulling out a thick manilla envelope.

Draco shrugged, "Not much, except for the fact that I live in one."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Really? _You_ live in a muggle home?"

"A flat, actually, pretty high class, but muggle all the same," said Draco, fiddling with an otter paperweight he picked up from the desk.

"Why?" asked Harry, closing the drawer. "You have a manor all to yourself. Why on earth would you choose to move into a muggle building? I thought you didn't even _like_ muggles."

"Potter, I haven't stepped foot in the Malfoy Manor since my house arrest was up and my mother moved out. I hate that place and everything it stands for and for everything that happened there. As for muggles, I've come to regard them with a certain amount of respect."

This time both of Harry's eyebrows raised, "Really?"

"Mhm. Did you know that in order to become a healer, you have to work at a muggle hospital for a few months? _That's_ when I gained respect for them. Saving lives without the use of magic? It's really something."

"Wow Malfoy. You've really changed," said Potter, giving him a grin,

"Yeah well, too bad I can't say the same about some people," said Draco, irritably, setting down the paperweight.

"Who are you-"

"Weasley. Automatically assuming that I had something to do with what happened to Granger? It's just like at Hogwarts, when you guys always thought I was up to something."

"Um, that's because you usually _were_ ," said Harry, though he was smiling. "Look, Ron just holds onto grudges and doesn't forget the past like most do. I'll talk to him though, make sure he doesn't go accusing you anymore."

Draco nodded, "Good, because I'd hate to have to punch him in his freckled face."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Anyways, we should head back."

"Ah yes, homemade chocolate cream pie," Draco said with a grin.

They heard a creak below them and the two men looked at each other, both taking out their wands. Harry put a finger to his lips and Draco nodded as they tiptoed out of the room. They heard someone rummaging through stuff downstairs and Harry picked up his pace towards the set of stairs. As he stepped down onto the first step, it creaked and the noises downstairs suddenly stopped, followed shortly but a faint _pop_ of someone disapparating.

"Shit," said Harry, running down the stairs, Draco following close behind.

"Gone," said Draco, lowering his wand.

"Fuck!" said Harry as he punched the wall in frustration, "We could have caught the bastard." He glanced at his hand, his knuckles bleeding, "Shit.."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Thank goodness you're in the presence of a Healer, eh Potter?" He took out his wand and waved it over Harry's hand, the cuts disappearing within seconds.

"Thanks," grumbled Harry, taking out his own wand and fixing the small dent in the wall that his fist made. "I'll need to set up wards so that if anyone comes in here, we'll be notified and hopefully get here in time, then we can go."

"As long as your wife still gives us some pie, that's fine." said Draco, sitting down on the plush, burgundy couch while Harry did his work.

* * *

Draco sat back in his chair, a content smile on his face, "That was delicious, Ginny."

"Thanks, Draco. I'll send you home with another slice if you want?" she offered.

Draco looked at Harry, "Potter, I think I'm in love with your wife."

Harry glared at Draco and pulled Ginny's chair closer to his. He placed an arm around her shoulders and said, "Mine."

"Alright, fine, be selfish," said Draco with a smirk. He glanced at his wristwatch, "I should head out. I have another early day tomorrow." He looked to Ginny, "Thanks again for dinner and the pie."

"Anytime," she said with a sincere smile. "Let me get you a slice to go, ok?"

Draco nodded, standing up.

"Are you planning on talking to Hermione tomorrow?" Harry asked as he followed Draco into the living room.

Draco sighed, pulling on his cloak, "I don't know if it's wise if I keep going to see her. _I'm_ not her friend, you are."

"Yeah, but for some reason, she trusts _you_ and opens up to you. Maybe if you can get her talking, she might start remembering."

Draco scratched the back of his head, "Fine. _If_ I have time to stop by, I will, but I make no promises."

Harry gave him a relieved smile, "Thanks, Malfoy."

Ginny walked back with a container full of chocolate cream pie, "Here you go. Don't eat it all in one setting, ok?"

"Yes ma'am," said Draco with grin. He took the container and shrunk it before placing it in his cloak pocket.

"Did you want to use the floo?" asked Harry, reaching for the floo powder on the mantle.

"No, thanks. My place isn't connected to the Network," said Draco. "I'll just apparate home."

"Oh, ok," said Harry, setting the powder back.

"See you, Potters," said Draco, before he turned on the spot and disapparated with a _pop_.

Ginny wrapped an arm around Harry's lower back as he slung an arm over her shoulder, kissing her temple. "He's changed," she said.

Harry nodded, "That he has. I never thought the day would come when Malfoy would be eating dinner at our place and the house would still be standing afterwards."

Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek, "I'm proud of you, both of you, for putting aside your differences."

Harry looked at Ginny and grinned, "Yeah?"

"Yeah. It's a real turn on," she said with a wink, as she linked her hand with his and tugged him towards the stairs."

"I may just have to invite Malfoy over for dinner more often," he said, sweeping Ginny up from her feet and carrying her up the stairs, both laughing quietly as to not wake their sleeping child.

* * *

True to his word, Draco stopped by Hermione's room before his shift started the next morning. He didn't usually make it a habit of getting to work almost an hour early, but when he woke up before his alarm and couldn't go back to sleep, he figured he might as well visit the witch and see if they could get the process rolling on her memories.

It was early, and a chill was in the air as he walked to St. Mungo's, so he stopped at a coffee shop and decided to get something for Granger as well. He wasn't sure what she'd like, so he got her black coffee and pocketed some sugars and cream into his pocket.

He knocked lightly on the door to her room and opened it, not surprised to see her already awake, the book she was borrowing from him in her lap. She looked up and gave him a smile, "Good morning, Healer Malfoy," she said, before turning her attention back to the book.

"Morning Granger," he said as he walked over to her and offered one of the cups of coffee, "I wasn't sure what you drank, so I just got you a black coffee with some packets of cream and sugar."

"Oh," she said, surprised, taking the offered insulated cup. "Thank you." She removed the lid from the top and inhaled, closing her eyes to savor the aroma, "I just love the smell of coffee." She took a sip, the made a face, "The taste, not so much."

Draco nearly chuckled, drinking his own beverage, "It's an acquired taste. Do you want to add any cream or sugar?"

She shook her head, "No thanks. I usually prefer a cappuccino, but when that's not available, a hot chocolate will always do."

Draco raised a brow. "Is that something you remembered?" he asked.

Hermione gasped, her eyes widening with excitement, "I did!"

Draco grinned, and opened the flap to his shoulder bag, pulling out a notebook. "Here," he said, placing the notebook on the nightstand next to her bed, "Whenever you recall anything, whether it's from a dream or memory, write it down. It might help."

Hermione picked up the simple, black notebook, "That's a good idea, thank you."

Draco sat down in the chair next to the bed, "Think nothing of it. But, I do want to talk to you about Potter and Weasley."

She gave him a sorrowful look, "I still don't want to see them. Everytime I close my eyes…."

"That's fine, but, just know that when you _are_ ready to see them, they'll be waiting."

Hermione nodded, biting her lip, as she fiddled with the cup in her hand. Draco took the drink from her and changed the coffee to a hot chocolate before handing it back.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile, taking a sip.

He waited for her to finish taking another sip before asking, "Did you have any more dreams last night?"

She shook her head, "No, I asked Healer Newton for the Dreamless Sleep and it worked; no dreams."

"Good." Draco took a big gulp of his coffee, nearly finishing it. "How are you coming along with the book?"

"Over halfway done. It's fascinating!" she said with a wide grin, "I can barely put it down."

"And nothing is coming back to you? About your time at Hogwarts?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, nothing yet, sorry."

Draco shrugged, "Nothing to be sorry for. You'll get your memories back." He stood up, "Enjoy your hot chocolate and the book. I have to get ready for my shift."

"Will you come back after?" she asked, hopefulness shining in her eyes.

"I'll...try," he said.

"Alright," she said leaning back onto her pillows, "Have a good day, Malfoy."

"You too."

As he left the room, he cursed himself, because he knew for a fact that he'd be back to see her later that day.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Been on a bit of a writing spree this weekend so I figured it was safe to post another chapter for you lovely readers. Enjoy!**

* * *

"What do you mean that you're releasing her tomorrow?" asked Harry. "She still doesn't remember who she is or anything from her past!"

"I understand your frustration, Mr. Potter, but, the fact of the matter is, aside from her memory loss, she's healthy. All of her injuries are now healed. Her memories may come back in time, but we can't let her stay here, taking up a bed, when there are others who need it more."

Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I guess that makes sense." He looked to Healer Newton, "So, what? Does she just go home? Do we take her to one of our places?"

"That decision should be up to her and what she's comfortable with," suggested the Healer.

Harry grumbled, "I guess I will have Mafoy talk to her."

Healer Newton nodded, "Yes, she seems to open up to him the most." She gave him a reassuring smile, "She'll talk to you when she's ready. She's just scared and confused."

"Yeah. I know. Thanks. Guess I'll go see Malfoy now before I have to head back to the ministry," said Harry dully.

"Healer Malfoy isn't in his office; today is his day off," informed Healer Newton.

"Great," mumbled Harry.

* * *

Once back at the Ministry, Harry wrote an owl to Draco;

 _Malfoy,  
_ _They're releasing Hermione tomorrow. I don't think she'll be safe on her own and would really prefer she come home with me or someone else she knows. Can you meet at my office, as soon as you can?  
_ _-H. Potter._

An hour later, Harry received a response.

 _Potter,  
_ _It's my fucking day off. Can't I get some peace from you and your friends for one bloody day?  
_ _And no, I will not go your office.  
_ _Piss off,  
_ _-D. Malfoy._

* * *

 _Wow Malfoy, what does the "D" stand for? Dick?  
_ _Fine. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at 5 and I'll buy you a butterbeer.  
_ _-P_

* * *

 _Make it a Firewhiskey and we'll see.  
_ _-'Dick'_

* * *

At ten past four that evening, Draco sat down at a small round table across from Harry. "Alright, I'm here, where's my drink."

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, turning around and motioning to Hannah behind the counter. She came over and dropped off a butterbeer for Harry and tumbler of Firewhiskey for Draco.

"Thanks, Abbot," said Draco cheekily.

She smirked at him before going back behind the counter.

"Alright, I'm here and I have my drink. What do you want to talk about?" asked Draco, taking a sip.

"They're releasing Hermione tomorrow and I don't feel comfortable letting her be on her own just yet, especially since someone was in her house just a few days ago while we were there."

Draco nodded, "And? What do you propose _I_ do about it?"

"Talk to her. See if she'll stay at my place or at the Burrow or something for a while, at least until we capture the bastards who did this to her."

"Potter, do you really think she'll go stay with people who are essentially strangers to her? Or with _you_ when all she can see when she looks at you is someone from her nightmares?"

"OK, so what do _you_ suggest?" Harry asked, taking a swig from his mug.

"Let her go home. It'll probably help her remember, plus you put on wards so if anyone enters, it will notify you. Turn off her floo network, make it so that no one can apparate inside the house, and have some of your aurors keep an eye out for a while."

Harry sighed, "I guess, but I'd still prefer if she went home with someone else. Hell, even _you_ would be an acceptable option at this point."

"Yeah, no way is that happening. I only have one room anyways," Draco said, finishing off his firewhiskey.

"Will you still at least bring up the topic of her staying somewhere else?" pleaded Harry.

"Fine, whatever." He stood up, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back home to contemplate my life's choices and figure out why I'm helping you at all."

"Because of Ginny's chocolate cream pie?" Harry suggested with a smirk.

"That pie _was_ damn good. In fact, I wouldn't mind more as payment for helping you out so much."

Harry rolled his eyes, "I'll see what I can do."

"You better. Tell her I like apple pie as well," he said. He turned to leave but then stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Thanks for the drink, Potter. Definitely made it easier talking to you."

Harry shook his head, sat back in his chair, sipped the rest of his butterbeer, and contemplated the fact that he actually suggested Hermione stay with Malfoy. _Times have definitely changed._

* * *

"Um.." said Hermione, slightly taken aback at Harry's suggestion, "I don't think I can do that…"

"Will you at least consider it?" asked Harry. Hermione had finally let Harry into her room, so long as he kept his distance and that Draco was there. Malfoy was currently leaning against the wall, pretending to be inspecting his nails but was really watching the interaction.

"I understand your concern, but I can't just go and live with you and your family. Not after…" she trailed off.

Harry nodded, "Malfoy told me about the nightmares. But you have to understand that-"

"I'm sorry, I just can't, ok?" Her eyes pleaded with him to understand and Harry finally sighed and nodded.

"What about staying at the Burrow?" he suggested.

"The what?" asked Hermione. She started walking around her room, in regular clothes that Harry had obtained from her house.

"The Burrow. It's where Ron and his family live. They're like a second family to all of us," explained Harry.

Hermione turned to face him and started playing with the sleeves of her sweater nervously, "I'd essentially be staying with strangers...I'm just not comfortable with that," Hermione said before turning and grabbing her notebook and pen from the nightstand and placing it in a bag the hospital had given her to collect her belongings. They were due to arrive any minute with her release papers and Hermione was both itching to get out of this tiny, white-walled room and terrified of getting attacked again all at the same time.

Harry groaned and looked to Draco, who gave him an 'I told you so' smirk.

"I really do appreciate the concern," Hermione continued, facing Harry again, though not quite meeting his eye. "I...I'll be ok. I'll install alarms…. or something."

"Alarms?" said Harry in disbelief, "Alarms won't help you against dark wizards who want to hurt you-"

"Potter, calm down" Draco said to Harry, finally pushing himself from the wall and walking over to him, nodding towards Hermione who had taken a few steps back from Harry. "Granger, look. The people who attacked you and hurt you can get past alarms with a flick of their wand." Hermione bit her lower lip in worry and nodded as Draco continued, "Potter here, is an auror, kind of like a police for the Wizarding world. Let him set wards up on your house and make it safer."

Hermione thought about it and sighed with a slight nod, "Alright."

Harry gave her a grateful look and promised to be back soon. Even though he had already set up wards, he wanted to check them and also block the floo network to her home. With a _pop_ , he disapparated, causing Hermione to jumped slightly. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," she mumbled.

Draco chuckled then turned his head as Healer Newton walked into the room, "Well, Miss Granger-oh, Healer Malfoy, I wasn't expecting you here on your day off."

"I was just here for moral support while she talked to Potter," he informed.

Healer Newton quirked a brow, "Support for Miss Granger or for Mr. Potter?"

Draco gave a casual shrug, "Both, I suppose."

Healer Newton nodded and turned her attention back to Hermione. "Here is the paperwork for your release. I am so sorry that we were not able to help you retrieve your memories…"

Hermione gave a slight shrug and took the offered papers, reading them over before putting them in her bag. "Thank you for everything."

Healer Newton gave her a warm smile then turned to Draco, "Are you escorting Miss Granger home, then?"

"Oh, uh… I wasn't planning-"

Harry knocked on the opened door and entered, "Everything is set up for you, Hermione. If you're ready, I can take you home?"

Hermione bit her lip again and looked between Harry and Draco.

Healer Newton broke the silence and said "Well, I'll let you three figure this out." She gave another smile and nod to Hermione and the left the room.

"Come on, Hermione," said Harry gently, "I'll apparate us there."

"Can't… can't Malfoy take me?" she asked, looking between the two men nervously.

Draco raised his brow in surprise as Harry simply dropped his hand, trying to hide the hurt. "Yeah… Yeah I guess."

Hermione looked at Draco, taking a step closer to him, "Is that ok?"

"I suppose that's fine," said Draco, slightly uncomfortably.

Another knock sounded at the door and three of them looked to see Ron standing there, causing Hermione to shuffle back a step.

"Hey," he said as he walked into the room, "I just came to see how Hermione was and if she wanted me to take her to the Burrow or… something."

Harry shook his head, "Malfoy is going to escort her home."

Ron frowned then shifted to his eyes to Malfoy, glaring at him instantly, "Why him?" he asked, gesturing towards the blond.

"Because that's what she wants," said Harry with a defeated sigh.

Ron looked at Hermione, who was avoiding eye-contact with the red-head, "'Moine…."

Hermione shook her head, "I'm sorry… I… I just… I had another dream last night… same as before… I just can't…"

Ron frowned sadly at her and nodded, "Ok…. well, I'm going to see if Susan is free for lunch I guess-"

" _You're_ the bloke Bones is dating?" Draco asked, surprised.

"Yeah. What of it?" asked Ron defiantly.

Draco shrugged, "Nothing. I just didn't picture _you_ when she was talking about her new boyfriend."

"Whatever, Malfoy. Harry, I'll meet you back at the office, yeah?" asked Ron.

Harry nodded as Ron walked out the door.

"Well… I'll stop by tomorrow, to see how you're doing. I posted my cell phone number on your fridge if you need to get a hold of me, 'Mione..."

Hermione nodded, looking up and him, "Alright. Thanks."

Harry nodded then looked at Draco, "You know where she lives?"

Draco shrugged, "I can apparate there, if that's what you mean."

"Ok. Right. Well. I'm off.. I'll… I'll talk to you later," said Harry, as he slowly walked out of the room, hands shoved into his pockets.

"As much as I love seeing Potter suffer, you really need to get your memories back. The bloke is just downright depressing to be around right now," said Draco, glancing at Hermione.

Hermione bit her lip again, nodding. "Trust me. I want my memories back too," she said softly, just above a whisper.

Draco held out his hand to Hermione, making her flinch slightly, "Sorry. Whenever you're ready, just grab my hand and I'll take you home."  
Hermione glanced at his hand and reached for it slowly, before retracting it and walking over to the hospital bed. She stuffed her hand under her pillow and pulled out the yellow lolli, still un-wrapped.

"Sorry, I, uh, forgot this..." she said, placing the candy into her bag. She took one last glance around the room, then walked over to Draco and slowly intertwined her fingers with his.

He glanced down and their hands, not expecting such an intimate gesture, but decided to not comment on it. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "Ready?"

Hermione nodded, squeezing his hand slightly, "Ready."

* * *

 **A/N: Finally, she's not confined to the hospital anymore and hopefully some more stuff develops between the characters and the mystery of who took her.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Another chapter for you all! I've had a few sparks of inspiration so i've been writing a ton lately.**

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick," Hermione said faintly as they _popped_ onto her front porch. She shut her eyes tight during the apparition and had yet to open them.

Draco glanced at her and noted that she indeed looked pale with a tinge of green. With a gentle tug of his hand, he pulled her to the door, "Come on Granger, let's go inside so you don't get sick on your porch." He reached for the door and the knob shocked him briefly. He let out a curse and shook his hand, mumbling under his breath, "Damn Potter...how am I supposed to get in without a key?"

"Try under the doormat," Hermione suggested, her eyes still closed.

Draco knelt down and lifted the worn matt and found a key under it.

"Something you remembered?" he asked as he unlocked the door and opened it.

Hermione shook her head, "No, just figured that would be a logical place to put it."

Draco peered inside the house then cast _Homenum Revelio._ He relaxed when it come up empty. "Come on, let's get you seated."

"I'm starting to feel better," Hermione said, opening her eyes for the first time. She glanced around the room slowly, as if trying to place everything. She set her bag from the hospital on the couch and walked over to the fireplace, where the mantle was riddled with pictures. She picked up one up of her, Ron, and Harry, taken not too long ago. Her lip trembled slightly and then her stomach lurched, "I think I'm really going to be sick," she said, covering her mouth.

Draco conjured up a bucket and shoved it under her right as she started to vomit. He held it up for her, but looked away, not wanting to see the contents of her stomach. When she finally retched until she could retch no more, she looked up at him, her eyes watering, "Sorry…"

"No need to be sorry," he said, vanishing the bucket and steering her towards the couch. "Sit. I'll get you something to drink."

Hermione sat on the plush couch and closed her eyes as she leaned back.

Draco called from the kitchen, "It looks like you either cleaned out your fridge for your trip, or someone stole all your food."

"I probably cleared everything out," she said.

Draco returned to her side a few moments later, a glass of water in his hand and a plate of soda crackers, "Here, this is all you have. I can run to the market for you and get some staples so you're not without food if you want."

"That… that would be really kind of you, thanks," she said, taking a delicate sip of her water.

"Feeling better?" he asked after a moment had past.

Hermione nodded slightly, "Yes. I can probably go with you to the market-"

"Absolutely not."

"But-"

"Granger, don't argue. I won't be long. Go… take a bath, or something. Healers orders. I'll be back in an hour, tops."

Hermione let out a sigh, "Fine…"

As Draco left and locked the door, taking the spare house key with him, Hermione made her way up the old, creaky stairs to the master bedroom. She wished she could remember anything about this house that she supposedly grew up in, but everything looked odd and foreign. She went into the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised to find a clawfoot bathtub. She turned the taps of the faucet on and found the perfect temperature before sticking the stopper on the drain.

As the bath filled, she stripped off her clothes, tossing them into the hamper. She glanced up, her eye catching her naked body in the mirror. She turned to face to herself and assess her body, taking note that at least she didn't _look_ defiled, when images of when she was kidnapped came flooding through: _A mirror had been brought into the room she was in and she was forced to watch as one of the men, the Harry-look-alike, pounded her from behind and squeezed her breasts painfully hard at the same time. Tears were streaming down her face as she begged him to stop, while the Ron-look-alike, told her to shut up and take it like the whore she was._ Hermione gasped at the memory and walked backwards, away from the mirror until her body hit the wall. Gasping for air, she slid her back down, until her bottom hit the floor and her knees were pulled up to her chest. As she caught her breath, she began to cry and buried her face into her knees, all while the water was starting to reach the brim of the tub.

When Draco arrived shortly later, levitating a few bags of groceries into her kitchen and set them to put away on their own, he walked over to the stairs and called up, "Granger? I'm back. I wasn't sure what all you wanted so I got a bit of everything."

When he didn't hear a response, he frowned and called up again, "Granger?"

He walked a few steps up the stairs and heard the faint sound of running water. _Odd_ , he thought, _she should have finished filling up her bath a while ago_. He walked up the stairs and noted that the master bedroom door was ajar. He knocked lightly, calling out to her again. The door opened slightly and he stepped forward, only to be rewarded with a _squelch_ sound coming from under his shoe. He looked down and saw that the carpet was soaked with water.

"Shit," he said, opening the door all the way and walking towards the bathroom. "Granger? Are you in there?"

He heard her sob something out over the water running and braced himself as he opened the door. Hermione, naked and shivering on the floor, looked up at him with her eyes red and swollen from crying. He glanced at the tub and walked over to it, turning off the taps and unplugging the drain, before grabbing a towel and walked over to Hermione, placing it around her shoulders.

"Th-th-thanks," she said between hiccups.

"Come on Granger, up you go," he said, taking her hand and helping her up to her feet. He made sure to not make eye contact with any visible parts of her naked body as he walked her towards the bedroom and pulled back the covers on the king size bed. "Come on, in you go," he said, turning his head slightly as she slipped into the bed, the towel still around her. She huddled into the covers and shivered slightly.

Draco started to walk away when her hand grabbed his tightly, "Please don't leave."

"I'm just going to clean up the bathroom. You don't want mold or water damage do you?" he asked, quirking a brow and giving her a small smile.

She shook her head, loosening her grip on his hand so he could pull away.

Once the water was vanished, the bathroom floor and carpet dried, he return to Hermione's side, sitting on the edge of the bed. He couldn't help but move a strand of hair that was over her face and placed it behind her ear. "What happened Granger?" he asked quietly.

Her lip trembled and she shut her eyes tightly as she retold him of the flashback. His jaw tightened and fists clenched, hard enough for his fingernails to leave tiny moon-shaped indents in the palms of his hands as she told the memory, but when she was done and opened her eyes, he looked calm and collected.

"I'm sorry" he said, and continued at her confused look, "for… everything you went through and now having to relive through memories. You should probably rest. I'll go fix up some sandwiches to eat."

Hermione nodded and snuggled her head into her pillow, breathing in a faintly familiar scent.

When Draco came back upstairs, two plates of sandwiches levitated in front of him, he wasn't surprised to find Hermione sound asleep. He placed one of the plates on the nightstand, turned off the little lamp by the bed, and quietly left the room.

A few hours later, Hermione shuffled her way down the stairs, fully clothed, and an empty plate in her hand. Draco was sitting on the couch, reading a book and turned to look at her when he heard her descend the stairs.

"Thank you.. for the sandwich," she said, as she reached the bottom step.

Draco gave a nod before returning to the book, "You're welcome."

"And… Thank you, for… everything after my panic attack," she said, looking embarrassed.

Draco shrugged, closing the book he was reading and placing it on the coffee table in front of him. "I've gone through a fair share of panic attacks myself. I know how it feels and how uncontrollable they are."

Hermione nodded, looking down at the plate she was holding, "I, um, was wondering...do you want to stay for dinner later? I can look and see what's in the kitchen and make something simple."

Draco nodded, "Sure. I got some noodles and sauce, along with a loaf of bread if that works for you."

Hermione gave him a small smile, "Sounds perfect."

* * *

Dinner was finished and the table was cleared. Hermione took her time washing the dishes by hand while Draco used his wand to dry and put them away.

"I should really head home-"

"Can you please stay, just one night?-"

They had spoke at the same time and Hermione blushed while he looked away uneasily.

"Granger, I really don't think I should," he said, drumming his fingers on the counter.

"Why?"

"Because…. Because it's not healthy for you to be so hung up on me all the time, that's why," he said irritably, not meeting her eye.

Hermione faltered, unsure of what to say. She bit her lip and looked out her window, noting that the skyline was now a dark purple-blueish color. She nodded absently, "Alright. I'll… I'll be fine."

He glanced at her as he stuck his hands in his pockets, "Thank you for dinner."

She nodded again, still staring out the window, "Sure."

"I put my number on the fridge next to Potter's… in case… well, just in case," he said with a shrug.

She turned her head and looked at him, "I'll be fine."

"Right. Goodnight, Granger," he said, turning to make his way to the front door.

"Night Malfoy," she said to his back, then turned and continued to stare out the window, her arms now across her chest, as if she was physically trying to hold herself together.

When she heard the door close she closed her eyes and willed the tears that were starting to form not to shed. She took a few deep breaths, and looked around her empty house. "I'll be fine… I'll be fine," she said, muttering to herself as she made her way to the living room.

She flipped on the switch to the lights and sat on the couch before finally succumbing to the tears and sobbed into her hands.

A knock on the door made her jolt. She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt as she made her way slowly towards the door.

"Who… who is it?" she called out, not daring to open it just yet.

"Malfoy," came the voice.

Confusion and relief poured through her at the same time as she opened the door. He glanced up and noticed her red-rimmed eyes. "One night," he said.

She blinked twice, "What?"

"I'll stay one night. On the couch," he clarified.

Hermione smiled and couldn't help but launch herself to him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

Draco froze at the contact but eventually lifted a hand to pat her back awkwardly, "Alright, that's enough. I'm... not much of a hugger."

"Oh!" said Hermione, letting him go, her cheeks flushed, "Sorry, I… don't know what came over me. Come on in, I'll get some blankets for you."

She turned to head towards the stairs but stopped and turned back to face him. She took a step closer, placed a gentle hand to his cheek, and kissed the other softly, "Thank you."

When she finally went up the stairs, Draco let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. He touched the spot she had kissed and cursed under his breath, for he knew he was starting to actually care for the witch.

* * *

 **A/N: So, some development. Not a ton, but some. And before anyone asks, no, Hermione is not pregnant.  
Let me know what you think in your review! Thanks! ~HufflepuffMommy  
PS. I haven' said it lately, so here's a shout out to Sweet Little Bullet for beta-ing for me! **


	10. Chapter 10

At six o'clock the next morning, there was a knock at Hermione's front door. Draco, who had been sound asleep, grumbled as he tossed the blanket from his body and shuffled over, opening the door grumpily.

"Potter," he said once he saw who it was, "Why are you here so fucking early in the morning?"

"The same could be said about you, you know," said Harry, raising a brow.

Draco shrugged, "I never left."

Harry started to glare and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before he could.

"Don't worry, I didn't defile your little princess. I slept on the couch."

"Good to know. I came to drop this off," he said as he held out a manila folder.

"Her manuscript? You didn't give it to her yet?" Draco asked, taking it from Harry.

"I haven't really had a chance, have I? The only time she let me see her was when she was being released and I left before I remembered to give it to her. She's usually awake around this time so….."

"So you thought you would just stop by, early in the morning, catching her off-guard?" asked Draco, raising a brow.

Harry sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "I don't know. I just want to see her. I… I miss her. Ginny misses her. James misses her…"

"Yeah yeah, I get it. But Potter, you can't just force yourself into her life again. Let her come to you when she's ready. Even if she doesn't get her memories back, she notices all the pictures around this place. She knows, even if it scares her, that you're her friend. Once the nightmares stop, and she can think things out some more, I'm sure she'll contact you."

"Is that your polite way of telling me to leave before she sees me?" asked Harry.

Draco shrugged, "I can be an arse about it if you really want."

"No, no, I get it. I'll.. I'll wait for her to come to me," said Harry, slightly dejected.

"Good. Now, run along off to work like the good little Ministry worker you are," said Draco, shooing him off with a hand.

Harry rolled his eyes, "See ya, Malfoy."

Draco shut the door and glanced up the stairs, wondering if Granger was awake. The door to her bedroom still seemed to be shut, so he shrugged and went back to the couch to fold the blankets. He penned a quick note to Hermione and left it on the coffee table before disapparating.

* * *

When Hermione finally woke, she glanced at the clock and blinked a few times to make sure it was correct. "Eight?" she said aloud. She slipped out of bed and opened her bedroom door, the smell of eggs and toast wafting up. She smiled as she headed downstairs but it quickly faded when she saw only the food on the table, a note beside it.

 _Granger,  
_ _Had to go to work. I made breakfast and put a stasis spell on it so it stays warm. Hope you like scrambled eggs.  
_ _Potter stopped by this morning and gave me a manuscript for a book you were writing. It's in the manilla envelope on your coffee table.  
_ _I'll stop by after my shift to make sure you're ok, but it will be late, around 10 or 11.  
_ _Take care.  
_ _Eat. Rest. Healer's orders.  
_ _-Malfoy._

Before Hermione could read the "PS" at the bottom of the note, she jumped as something leaned against her leg. She glanced down and saw a white cat looking back up at her. The cat mewed and Hermione frowned, not remembering seeing a cat yesterday. She glanced back at the note and read the rest of it.

 _P.S. I brought my cat over to keep you company. Her name is Cleo and she thinks she's a queen. Treat her as such or she'll stare at you with contempt, it's what I do to avoid conflict._

Hermione let out a chuckle and placed the letter on the table. She kneeled down and put out her hand for the cat to inspect. "Cleo, huh? Well, nice to meet you." She scratched the cat behind the ears, earning a pur and a nuzzle in return. "I think we'll get along just fine."

She gave the cat one last scratch before sitting at the table and helping herself to breakfast.

* * *

Draco walked into Hermione's house at half past 10 in the evening. He wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't to see that she was still awake, reading a handful of papers, while his cat laid across her lap, snoozing peacefully. She looked up at him and gave him a grin, "Good evening, _Draco_."

Draco raised a brow as he slipped off his Healer's robe, "So you finally figured it out, huh? How?"

Hermione waved the papers around that were in her hand, "My manuscript, apparently."

Draco looked at her uneasily, "I'm surprised you haven't kicked me out then."

She gave him a confused look, "Why would I kick you out?"

"Well," he said, sitting next to her on the couch, "If _I'm_ in your book, which is about the war, then you'll know how I was involved."

"Well…" she said, as she placed the manuscript down to turn and face him, causing Cleo to get up and move to Draco's lap, "It seem's that the person who I was before I lost my memory thought quite highly of you."

Two eyebrows raised this time, "You don't say."

"Mhm," she said with a nod. "Would you like to read it?"

Draco eyed the manuscript but shook his head, "That's alright. I'll just wait until it's published, like everyone else."

Hermione sighed, "Well, if I don't get my memories back, then it will never get published."

He shrugged, "Guess I'll take that chance."

Hermione waited a minute before asking, "Are you hungry? I have leftovers from dinner you can have."

"Thanks, but I ate at the hospital," he said, absently running a hand down Cleo's back, causing her to purr loudly.

Hermione looked at the cat and smiled, reaching out to scratch behind the cat's ears, "Thank you, by the way, for having her keep me company. It helped."

Draco nodded, "You're welcome. I figured she could use the extra attention while I worked anyways."

Hermione nodded absently, nibbling her lip, "Can I ask you a question?"

"If I say no, will you ask anyways?"

She smiled slightly and nodded, "Will you consider staying the night a few more times? Just for a while?"

"Granger, I said one night-"

"On the couch."

"What?"

"You said one night ' _on the couch'_. I'm offering you my guest bedroom for the rest of the time," she explained.

He raised an impressed eyebrow at her, "Sneaky thing, aren't you?"

She grinned and shrugged.

Draco let out a sigh as he laid his head against the back of the couch, "I suppose I can inconvenience myself for a few nights…"

He didn't get a chance to finish as Hermione threw her arms around him again, "Thank you thank you thank you."

"Yeah yeah. But remember what I said about the hugging?" he said while half heartedly trying to pry her off of him.

She laughed and let him go, "Sorry, but you may as well get used to it. Apparently, I'm a hugger."

Draco rolled his eyes, but there was laughter behind them, "Greeeat."

* * *

Draco awoke that night by the sound of someone screaming. Sitting bolt upright in bed, he focused on his surroundings to make sure it was real and not a dream of his own. When the shouting happened again, he sprung out of bed and ran towards Hermione's room, where she was yelling and screaming incoherently.

"Granger. Granger wake up," he said, walking over to the bed and trying to shake her gently awake.

"NO! No, don't touch me! NO! NO!" she yelled as she thrashed some more.

"Granger, wake up, it's me, Draco… come on, wake up!" he pleaded angrily as he sat on the bed. She bolted upright, her eyes wide and fearful, looking all around the room. Draco grabbed her face with both his hands and had her focus on him "Look at me Granger. Look at _me_. You're safe. You're ok. No one is hurting you. It was a nightmare. Breath, Granger, breath… that's it. Nice and slow. In…. and out. That's it. Again. In and….out..."

He waited until her breathing returned to normal and she no longer had fear in her eyes before finally letting her go. She let out a sob and buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle.

He reached up and patted her hair, making shushing sounds until she stopped crying.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry… I don't mean to cry all the time, it's just… those dreams. They're so _real_..."

"Why didn't you take the Dreamless Sleep I gave you?" he asked, resting his chin on top of her head.

"I… I don't want to become dependant on it," she said with a sniffle.

"Granger, it's not an addictive potion. All it does is eliminate dreams. I swear on my life as a Healer that it's safe to take."

She sniffled again before finally lifting her head and looking up, "Alright… I'll take it."

"Where is it? I'll get it for you."

"In the bathroom…"

Draco got up to retrieve the vial of potion from her counter, noting that a blanket was now covering the mirror, and walked back over to where Hermione was. She took the vial and drank the offered position in one gulp, then handed it back to him.

"There, now you won't have to worry about anymore dreams tonight," he said, placing the empty container on the nightstand.

"Can you stay, please? Just until I fall asleep?" she asked.

He let out a tired sigh and nodded, "Move over."

He slid into the bed next to her and she snuggled up against him, her head on his chest. Unsure of what to do, he put an arm behind his head and left the other limp beside him. He started dozing off when he heard her counting under her breath.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Counting your heartbeats."

"...Why?"

"I need to focus on something here…. On something _real_."

He was silent for a moment before saying, "Well, it's good to know I still have one."

She lifted her head and turned to look at him, frowning, "Why do you say that? Of course you have a heart."

"There would be those out there who would disagree with you," he said with a tired sigh.

"Well… screw them," she said, before laying her head back down on his chest and drifting to sleep to the sound of his beating heart.

* * *

 **A/N: Short chapter this time around, but the other chapters after are longer. Stay tuned! If you're lucky, I may post one more tonight.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I want to apologize for not posting another chapter last night like I said i would. It slipped my mind as I dealt with my unruly kids (gotta love 'em right? haha!). I'll post two in a row today though, to make up for it.**

* * *

Harry's head was pounding. If one more person came up to ask him another mundane question, he was going to take a chapter out of his wife's book and use the bat-bogey hex on them.

"Potter," said a familiar voice, walking towards his desk.

Harry glared at the blonde approaching, "Not now Malfoy. I have a lot of work-"

"Yes, I get that. We need to talk. Come on," he said, turning around and walking out of the large office that all the aurors shared.

Harry cursed under his breath as he grabbed his cloak and swung it on, "Murphy, I'll be back in an hour. Taking an early lunch."

His next-in-command, Alfred Murphy, nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Harry?" asked Ron curiously from his desk as Harry passed, glancing between him and the doorway Draco had just walked through, "Where are you going with the ferret?"

"I think he has information about... you know," said Harry under his breath.

Draco appeared back at the doorway, "Any day now, Potter."

Ron stood up, "I'm coming too."

Draco scowled, "Fine, whatever."

"And you're buying lunch," said Ron.

Draco grit his teeth, "Fine," then muttered under his breath, " _fucking freeloader..._ "

"What was that?" asked Ron.

"Nothing. Let's go. Time is of the essence," said Draco, leading the two men down the hall.

"Don't you have work? Why are you at _ours_ , bothering Harry?" Ron asked as he and Harry caught up with Draco.

"It's my lunch break, and the only available time I had to _bother_ Potter at work," Draco said, mimicking Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes at the two. "So where are we going?" he asked, walking briskly next to Draco, Ron on his other side, as they made their way into the atrium.

As an answer, Draco stepped into an available floo and called out the Leaky Cauldron.

"Always gotta make things difficult," muttered Ron. Harry sighed, going to an available floo. After arriving at his destination, he quickly found Draco already grabbing a table for the three of them.

As Harry sat down, Hannah came up, "You two again? You guys better stop hanging out so much or else people are going to start to think you're friends or something."

Both men gave a disgusted look as Ron finally joined them and sat down.

"It's work related," said Harry. "Malfoy is helping me with a case. Nothing more."

"Mhm…. Anyways, the usual for the two of you?" she asked. Both nodded as she turned to Ron, "And what can I get you, Ron?"

Ron gave her his order, then she headed back towards the kitchens.

"We need to talk about Granger-"

"Shh!" said Harry, looking around, making sure no one was listening. He leaned closer to Draco and spoke quietly, "This case is classified. Only a few people know about what happened to her. Even some of my aurors don't know about it. So I'd appreciate it if you'd not talk about it so openingly, or _loudly_ for that matter."

"Yeah," said Ron, nodding in agreement toward Harry.

Draco rolled his eyes, and shifted in his seat to take off his robe, laying it over the back of the chair. Hannah returned with the plates of food and butterbeers for the three of them.

"Thanks," said Harry and Draco while Ron mumbled something, his mouth already full of his hamburger.

Hannah chuckled, "No problem. Oh, also, Neville has been talking about having you and Gin over for dinner sometime soon, Harry. We have some exciting news to share," she said with a huge grin.

"Hey what about me?" asked Ron with an exaggerated pout.

Hannah laughed, "Of course you can come, Ron."

He gave her a grin, "Wicked."

"Does this news mean you are going to be looking for a pediatrician? Because I happen to know an excellent one," Draco said with a wink and cheeky grin.

Hannah's smile faltered, "Oh. Um. No.. it's not that kind of news," she said, awkwardly .

Harry gave her a small smile, "I'll talk to Gin to see when we're free and send you an owl."

Hannah nodded before disappearing behind the bars counter.

"Way to go, Malfoy," said Ron dryly, taking another bite of his burger.

"What did I say?" he asked, honestly curious.

Harry hesitated before answering, "They've been trying to have a kid for a while now but last year they found out that she can't have children."

Draco shifted his eyes over to Hannah, who was purposely avoiding him. "Shit," he muttered, "I didn't know."

Harry shrugged, "Well, now you do."

They ate their meal in silence before Draco finally spoke, "So how _is_ the investigation going?"

Harry shot him a glare before casting a silencing charm around them so no one could hear, "What did I tell you about talking about that in public?" Harry asked.

Draco rolled his eyes again, "The investigation, Potter. I don't have all day."

"Why are you so curious anyways? It doesn't even involve you," asked Ron.

Draco scowled, "No, but it does involves a certain witch who happens to be your best friend. Do you know how many times in the past few days I've had to witness her reliving what she went through? How many times she cried on me? She's terrified. The sooner you catch those bastards, the sooner I can go back to my normal life. One that doesn't involve babysitting the Gryffindor Princess," he spat out the last part, making Ron scowl, but Harry just raised a brow.

"You sound like you actually care about her," said Harry.

Draco scoffed, "What I care about is being able to go home at the end of a long day. I care about getting a full night's rest, not being woken up by someone screaming their head off from nightmares."

Harry's eyes saddened, "She's really going through a rough time, isn't she?"

Draco nodded, "The only reason why she is ok while I'm at work is because my cat is keeping her company."

"She does like cats..." said Ron quietly, mostly to himself.

Harry sighed, finally answering Draco's question, "The investigation is going nowhere. We have no leads. I've tried talking to a few people, but-"

"Who?"

"Nott, Greengrass, and Bulstrode, to name a few," said Harry.

"Well, there's your problem. They won't talk to you. You're Harry fucking Potter. The moment they catch wind of you trying investigate them, or one of their friends, they're going to shut right up. Self preservation and all that. You need someone to talk to them who they'll open too."

Ron scoffed, "What, like you?"

Draco glared at the redhead but shrugged, looking back to Harry, "I can try. Then any information I get from them I can pass along to you. They'll never guess I'd be an informant."

Harry nodded as Ron asked, "What's in it for you?"

"Well, my life back, for one" said Draco as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry tapped a finger on the table, thinking, "If you do this, I'd like to look at your memories of the conversations. See if I can spot anything you missed."

Draco nodded, "Fine. I was actually going to suggest that."

Ron looked to Harry, "You're really going to have him help us?"

"Yes, Ron. He's right. They won't talk to me but they might just talk to him," he said, gesturing towards the blonde.

"And you're sure we can trust him?" asked Ron, nodding his head towards Draco.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm right here you know. If you're so worried about my involvement, I'll sign a binding contract or even an unbreakable vow if you're so worried."

"I don't think that will be necessary," said Harry.

Ron sighed and shook his head, taking a few big gulps of his butterbeer.

"You said earlier that Hermione was… reliving what she went through. Can you elaborate?" asked Harry.

"I really don't feel like repeating it," said Draco, grabbing his cloak and taking out two vials from one of the pockets, "But I do have my memories for you to look at. A bit of a warning though…. she's naked in the first one."

Ron's eyes widened in shock, "Wha-"

"Calm down, Weasley," interrupted Draco, before looking at Harry, "It'll make sense when you look at it. Also take note that I was a perfect gentleman while most probably wouldn't be," said Draco.

Harry pocketed the memory vials, "Thanks, Malfoy."

The three of them finished off their meals before going their separate ways. As Draco got back to his office, he decided the first person he'd talk too would be Daphne; he just had to figure out how to go about it.

* * *

"No, I'm sorry Mrs. Polaski, but the Minister cannot see you at this moment," said Daphne Greengrass as calmly and patiently as she could.

"But, my dandelions…" started the elderly witch.

 _Are weeds,_ thought Daphne, but she kept a smile on her face and gave the old lady a sympathetic nod. "I understand your flowers are very special to you. I promise that the Minister is looking into it, but right now, he has some more…. _pressing_ matters at hand."

"And you're sure you've been giving him my messages?" asked the witch, eyeing the young blonde girl suspiciously from behind her overly-large rimmed glasses.

"Of course. I swear on my cat's life," said Daphne.

Mrs. Polaski, who had a soft spot for cats herself, nodded, "Alright dear. Please have him get back to me soon. I don't want to do anything drastic; I just want to teach those little brats a lesson on personal property…."

"As soon as he gets out of his meeting, I will talk to him," said Daphne, pretending to write herself a memo.

"Thank you, dear. Now, if you excuse me, I have a date with the Prime Minister of France," she said excitedly.

As soon as the elderly women was out of earshot, Daphne let out a groan and dropped her head to her desk.

"Your cat's life huh? Last I remembered, you were allergic to cats," came a familiar voice.

Daphne's head popped up, "Draco? Oh Salazar, it _is_ you!" said Daphne grinning, coming around her desk and giving the Malfoy heir a hug. "It's been forever. How are you?"

Draco gave a shrug, "Well enough. You free for lunch?"

Daphne nodded, "Yes, let me just write a quick memo to the Minister letting him know I'm heading out."

Draco waited as she wrote her note and sent it floating under the closed door that led to the Minister's office.

"Did you make sure to include the part about the older witches request?" asked Draco teasingly, offing his elbow to her.

She laughed as she accepted his offer and linked her arm with his, "Trust me, he knows. He's just trying to figure out the best way to say that she can't jinx the little boys on her street for picking the dandelions in her yard."

Draco chuckled, "Aren't those the little weeds that kids blow and make wishes with?"

"The one and only," said Daphne, smiling. "So where are you taking me for lunch?" she asked sweetly.

"If I recall, you used to have a favorite sandwich shoppe nearby. Is that still true?"

She gave a nod and the two former Slytherin's made their way out of the Ministry and down the street. They ordered their food and found a little table in the back of the shoppe.

"Alright Malfoy, spill it," Daphne said as she took a bite out of her sandwich.

Draco gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"I mean cut the crap. I know you want to talk to me about something, so spill," she said.

Draco sighed, "Never could pull a fast on you. You're right, I do need to ask you something."

Daphne made a motion with her hand for him to proceed.

"It's about Granger," Draco started but stopped as Daphne nearly choked on her food.

"Granger? As in, Hermione goody-goody Granger? What about her?"

"Do you know what happened to her?" he asked.

Daphne frowned, "Not specifically. I know that _something_ happened, I don't get to be the MInister of Magic's secretary and _not_ hear things, but I don't know details, which is what I told Potter just a few days ago...Oh!" she gasped suddenly, "I heard rumor that you were at the Ministry yesterday and left with him and that red-haired Weasel guy. Was it because of this?"

Draco nodded, "I can't go into details since the case is classified, but yes, something happened to her and the only reason why I'm involved is because I'm the one who found her."

"Found her? What do you mean?"

Draco sighed, trying to figure out how much he should tell and how much Potter would be pissed if he told Daphne more than what was needed. "I just… _found_ her. In an alleyway. Unconscious. When she woke up, she had no memories.. Of anything. Not even of herself."

Daphne let out a whistle, "Wow…. who all knows?"

"Barely anyone, so you need to keep your pretty mouth shut," said Draco warningly.

"Awe, you think my mouth is pretty?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Daphne, I'm serious," said Draco.

"Ok, ok " she nodded, "I won't say anything." She waited a beat before asking, "Can I tell Tori at least?"

"No. One." said Draco, emphasizing each word.

"You're no fun, Draco," said Daphne with a fake pout.

"How is my former betrothed, anyways?" asked Draco, taking a sip from his drink.

"She's good. Still a little heartbroken over the fact that you broke that contract," she said teasingly.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Trust me, I would have made a terrible husband. I work long hours, take paperwork home, usually come home with vomit or feces on me…" he shook his head, but smiled faintly, "But it's worth it. I actually like my job, which is something I never thought I'd be able to say."

Daphne gave him a warm smile, "I'm happy for you, Draco. You're very lucky…"

"Yeah, I know.." he looked guiltily up at his friend, "How are your parents doing?"

"Oh you know..." she said airily. "Father's in Azkaban and mother loves running the rumor mill," she said mildly.

"My Mother passed along the message that Astoria is studying to be a professor at Hogwarts. Charms, right?"

Daphne nodded, lighting up. "She's so excited to be done with her studies and finally be able to start teaching next fall. She's been top ranked in her class two years in a row now," she said, grinning with pride.

Draco couldn't help but grin back.

The two ate their lunch and Daphne promised to pass along information if she were to hear anything regarding Hermione. With promises if trying to get together more often, the two said their goodbyes and went back to their own ways. Draco glanced at his watch and smiled to himself as he realized he had just enough time to swing by Hermione's... just to see how she was doing, not because he _wanted_ to see her.


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione was in her office-bedroom when she heard Draco call up for her. She glanced at the time and smiled, realizing that he must have stopped by on his lunch break. Cleo, who had been sleeping on Hermione's bed on top of all the stuffed animals, perked her head up as well. Hermione and the cat looked at each other before both making their way towards the stairs.

"Draco?" Hermione called as she walked down the steps, "What are you doing here? I thought you worked until late tonight?"

"I met up with a friend for lunch and it ended early, so I figured I'd stop by to see how you were doing," he said, picking up Cleo who had been rubbing and nudging his leg for attention. "So how are you two doing?"

Hermione smiled and gave a slight shrug, "We're fine. I was going through some things in my office while Cleo made a bed out of my stuffed animals."

Draco smiled as he set the cat down, "Find anything interesting?"

"Well, I did find my own copy of _Hogwarts, A History_. Though mine is very worn compared to your pristine one," she said with an embarrassed laugh.

"I told you that you used to carry around that book everywhere," he said with a smirk before glancing at his watch. "I can't stay long, I just came by to make sure you were ok and you didn't have anymore… you know…"

"Flashbacks?" she offered.

Draco nodded, "Yeah."

Hermione shook her head, "No, everything is been pretty quiet up here," she said, tapping her temple.

Draco smirked, "I highly doubt that. You're always thinking. You were the smartest witch of our year, you know."

Hermione raised her brows, "Was I?"

"Yes. Really put me out by the way. Getting beat in everything by a mud- muggleborn," he said, quickly amending his wording. He rarely used the offensive word, especially since the war ended, but sometimes it slipped out, as old habits have a sneaky way of coming back.

Hermione tilted her head to the side, studying him, "I take it that is part of our history back in school?"

"One of many, but that was the main thing, mostly," he said, looking down, inspecting his shoe.

Hermione walked up to him and lifted his chin in her finger, making him look at her, "One of these days, I'm going to need you to tell me what happened between us, especially if I never recover my memor-"

"You _will_ recover them," he insisted

She shook her head, "But if I don't. Promise me, ok?"

His own eyes shifted between hers before finally letting out a soft sigh and nodding, "Fine."

"Tonight?" she asked hopefully.

"I… not tonight. But some day," he said.

Hermione nodded, taking what she could get. "Alright. You should head back to work. Don't need those kids waiting on their healer all day now, do we?"

Draco chuckled, "I have time until my next appointment, but yes, I should be going. I'll be home-er, back, later tonight, usual time."

Hermione nodded, watching him as he walked towards the front door. With a final look her way and a wave, he left. As she heard the sound of his disapparating _pop_ faintly from the other side of the door, she put a hand to her thudding heart, hoping he didn't hear it when he called her place 'home'.

* * *

"Any more patients for me today?" Draco asked Healer Brown as he took a seat in her office.

"Nope, that was it for today," she said, glancing at the appointment schedule.

Draco let out a relieved sigh, "Thank Salazar. I swear every kid has been in contact with someone with Dragon Pox recently. Pretty sure I've seen half of the magical children in London the past few days."

Healer Brown smiled, "It's just that time of year."

Draco nodded, "Yeah, I know. It just seems extra brutal this time around."

"Well, using your lunch breaks to run around London will add to that, I'm sure," said Brown with a wink.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yes, _mum_ "

There was a knock on the office door as the two of them chuckled. They turned their head and saw Susan Bones, "Hi, sorry to interrupt," she said.

"It's fine, come on in," said Healer Brown.

"Oh, I can't stay. I just came to tell Draco that Ginny Potter is here to see him," she informed the blonde.

"Me?" he frowned, "Is James ok?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, well, at least I think so... James isn't even with her. She just said she wanted to talk to you. She's waiting in your office."

"Alright, thanks Susan."

Susan gave him a nod and smiled then turned to leave when he called her name, following her into the hall. "Yeah?" she asked.

"So, Weasley huh?" he asked, raising a brow, as they walked side by side.

Her cheeks pinkened as she nodded, "Yeah, Weasley."

"He treating you well?" he asked seriously.

She rolled her eyes but nodded, "Yes Malfoy, he's treating me just fine."

"If that changes, you tell me ok? I'd love a reason to kick his arse," he said with a grin.

Susan stuck out her tongue at him, "I can take care of myself, thanks. But, if something were to happen, you'd be the first to know, alright?"

"That's all I ask," he said.

She chuckled and gave him a side hug as they stopped in front of his office, "See ya later, Draco."

"Have fun with Weasley," he teased.

"Oh, I plan too," she said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ew, Just… ew," he said, making a disgusted look.

"Big baby. Go. Talk to Ginny, then go home and sleep. You look exhausted," she advised.

He gave her a salute before opening the door to his office.

Ginny turned in her seat and gave him a smile, "Hey Draco."

"Hey Ginny," he said, giving her a smile back as he sat in his chair, "Everything alright? Susan said you needed to talk to me."

Ginny nodded, "Yeah, everything is fine… and I'm sorry to come to your work like this, but…."

"It's fine, Ginny, it's the end of my work day anyways, so I'm not on any time crunch. Is this about Granger?"

The redhead nodded, "Yeah. I just.. I was just wondering if you think she'd be up to coming over to our place for dinner? Maybe tomorrow night? James has been asking for her a lot lately and…"

"And you miss her too?" he took a guess.

She gave a faint smile, "Yeah."

"I'll talk to her about it. She might be ok if since it's not just your husband there," he said.

"Are you still staying at her place?" she asked.

Draco nodded, "Yeah. That guest room is practically my second home now. But every time I try to talk about going back to my place, she starts having a panic attack or the nightmares return."

Ginny reached out and placed her hand over his, squeezing it briefly, "Thank you. For taking care of her, since we can't."

Draco gave a casual shrug, "It's fine. Though… I could use some homemade pies to keep me motivated."

Ginny laughed. "Any requests?" she asked as she stood up.

"Surprise me," he said, grinning at her.

* * *

"Dinner? At.. at Harry's?" Hermione asked, biting her lower lip.

"Ginny will be there too, and their son, James," said Draco.

"Will you be there?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? And pass up on Ginny's dinner and homemade dessert? Of course I'm going," said Draco, giving her a smirk.

Hermione gave a small smile back, "Well… I guess I can try."

"That's the Gryffindor spirit," he said, tugging a curl of her hair playfully. "I'll write to Potter and let him know."

* * *

Hermione rung her hands as it got closer to the time to go to Harry's for dinner. Draco was working and she was waiting for him to come back before they headed over. She paced her living room, trying to calm her nerves. Cleo, who was sitting on the couch, watched her, her tail twitching.

"I know it's ridiculous to be so worried about going over there, but you don't understand, Cleo," Hermione said to the cat, who blinked back at her, "Every time I look at pictures of him or Ron, I only see the images from my dreams and flashbacks.. I just can't help it. Maybe… Maybe I should just make up an excuse and say I can't go…"

Cleo mewed at her.

"You're right, you're right. Draco would see right through it," she sighed as she sat on the couch next to the cat who hopped on her available lap, purring.

Hermione nuzzled her face into the cat's fur and sighed, "Fine. I'll go. But if I don't have a good time, it's all your fault, ok?"

There was a knock at the door and Hermione looked up, frowning. Draco usually used the key and no one else stopped by… perhaps it was a neighbor.

She got up and put her hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it, when the person on the other side knocked again, this time harder. She decided to err on the side of caution and call out, "Who is it?"

"It's Harry. Open up, Hermione," he said.

Hermione hesitated briefly.. " _Oh, this is ridiculous. He's your friend, Hermione.. He won't hurt you, that's what Draco says. Trust Draco…._ " she muttered to herself. She squared her shoulders as she turned the handle, coming face to face with Harry.

"Hello, Harry," she said.

He gave her a crooked smile, "Hey... can I come in?"

"Oh.. um… I guess.. But we'll be leaving as soon as Draco gets back-"

"This won't take long," Harry said, stepping closer towards her.

Hermione instinctively stepped back, "Can't this wait?" she asked. "We're going to be heading over to your-"

"Will you just shut up, for one moment," he nearly growled out.

Cleo, who was watching the interaction, jumped off the couch and stood next to Hermione, hissing at Harry.

Hermione glanced down at the cat, then back to Harry, "Actually, I think it would be better if you'd leave."

Harry shook his head, "No, I don't think so."

He took another step towards her, his hand reaching out lightning quick, wrapping around her wrist and pulling her close.

"Wha-"

"Think you can hide from me, _mudblood_?" he asked, sneering down at her.

Hermione's heart was in her throat as she whispered, "You're not Harry."

"And just how are you going to prove that," he asked in her ear, sending terrifying chills up her spine. He licked up her cheek, "Don't you miss me? All the fun we had? Want me to remind you?"

She shook her head, trying to push him away, but he held on tighter.

"Come on you little bitch, just let me touch you-OW!"

The Harry-look-alike loosened his grip as he looked down. Cleo had jumped onto his leg, her claws in his trousers and digging into his skin.

"Stupid cat! Get off!" he said, shaking his leg.

Hermione took the opportunity to shake herself free just as Cleo flew off his leg, hitting the coffee table. The Harry-look-alike glared at Hermione, walking towards her, "I'm not finished with you."

"Get out" Hermione shouted, picking up the nearest thing, a book, and throwing it at him, "Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" A burst of magic shot through her, causing the intruder to be pushed back out the door, the door slamming in his face. Hermione panted as he jiggled the doorknob and pounded on the door. On wobbly legs, Hermione went over to Cleo and picked her up, holding her close. The cat gave a small mewl before closing her eyes. The pounding on the door suddenly stopped and Hermione listened closely for anymore sounds. When she was met with silence, she ran up the stairs and into her room, locking the door behind her before she hid in her closet, holding Cleo close as she sobbed uncontrollably into her fur.

* * *

 **A/N: EEK! That's all for today. But don't worry, I've still been writing a ton and have more to post in the next few days. Leave a review and let me know what you think, please!**


	13. Chapter 13

I loved all the responses from the last few chapters! I'm glad you are all enjoying this story; I am really enjoying writing it and knowing it's loved so much really gives me motivation to write more. Here's another chapter for you all!

* * *

Ginny was putting the finishing touches on dinner when there was a knock on the door. She glanced at the clock and was excited that Hermione was finally here, but also irritated that Harry had yet to come home from work.

"Coming!" she called as she walked briskly towards the door, passing James who was coloring on the floor.

She opened door, expecting to see Hermione and Draco, but was only met with a flash of blonde as he made his way into the house.

"Where is he?" asked Draco.

"Where's who? And where's Hermione?" she asked, glancing outside one last time before closing it.

"She's not coming," said Draco.

"What? But why…"

"Your husband, where is he?" Draco asked again.

"At work. He should be here soon though-"

"Good," said Draco. He looked down and saw James, softening his features slightly, "Hey squirt, how are you?"

"Good! Color?" he asked, holding out a green crayon to Draco.

Draco knelt down and took the offered crayon. He drew a quick sketch on the piece of paper and when he was done, the toddler squealed in delight.

"Dank you! Look mama, dragon! Grr! Grrr!" he said, showing his mother the drawing.

"It's very nice. Why don't you go put that in your room ok?"

"Kay!"

As James went up to his room, Ginny turned to Draco, "What happened?"

He shook his head, "I need to talk to Potter first, then I'll explain."

As if on queue, the fireplace roared to life and Harry stepped out. Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry.

"Draco!" said Ginny, surprised.

"Sorry Ginny, I just need to make sure it's really him" said Draco, not taking his eyes off the bespectacled man in front of him.

Harry put up his hands slowly, showing him that he meant no harm, "It's me, I swear. Ask me something only I would know."

"What did I mutter to you during the dueling class in 2nd year?"

"You asked if I was scared," said Harry without hesitation.

Draco dropped his wand, "Alright. Sorry, Potter, I just had to make sure."

"Why? What's going on?" Harry asked. "And where's Hermione?"

"Hermione had a visitor tonight, about an hour ago," said Draco, trying to hold in his anger.

"Who?" asked Ginny.

Draco motioned towards Harry, "Him, apparently."

Harry's eyes widened, "I've been at the office all evening. There are about 20 aurors who can attest to that," said Harry.

Draco nodded, "I believe you. But the person who came over looked and sounded just like you. Very nearly got Hermione again. She's fine," he said as Harry began to open his mouth to say something, "But she's not coming. It took me over a half hour to get her to come out of her room when I got back to her place tonight. She was hysterical. I had her take a sedative potion, so she's asleep right now."

Ginny clutched her heart, trying not to cry, "Poor Hermione…"

"I can't stay long," Draco continued, "I just came by to make sure that whoever visited Granger didn't try to come here and harm Ginny or James."

Harry nodded, "Thanks, Malfoy. I appreciate you looking out for my family," he said, holding out his hand. Draco took it, and gave Harry a firm shake.

"I'm taking Hermione back to my place for a while," informed Draco.

Harry nodded, "Ok." He looked to Ginny, "I think we should head to headquarters for a bit. At least this until this guy is caught."

Ginny nodded, "I agree. Draco, do you want me to pack you and Hermione some food? I don't want dinner to go to waste.."

Draco nodded, "Sure, thanks Gin. And, sorry you went through all the trouble..."

Ginny waved him off, "We'll try this again after the bastard is caught, yeah?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah."

* * *

Hermione shifted around as she started to wake. The bed under her felt strange and even the smells around her seemed…. different. With extra caution, Hermione opened one eye, then the next, finding herself laying on top of a plush comforter, in a room she had never seen before. She sat up quickly, looking around. She gasped as something jumped up on the bed and was relieved to see Cleo. The cat purred and nuzzled Hermione. "I'm so glad you're alright.. I thought you were hurt," Hermione whispered to the cat. Cleo purred louder and licked Hermione's hand, her scratchy tongue tickling Hermione's skin. "Yes, I'm alright. Are we at Draco's?" As if she was answering, the cat jumped off the bed and sauntered towards the door, looking behind her to make sure Hermione was following.

The two padded down the short hall that led to an enormous living area. Hermione was gaping at the pure magnitude of it when sounds from the kitchen caught her attention. She followed the noise and was glad to see Draco, plating some pancakes on two sets of dishes.

She cleared her throat to catch his attention and he turned around, nodding in her direction. "Good, you're awake. I made breakfast."

"I see that," she said sitting at the dining table as he served the food, "It looks delicious, thank you."

He nodded again, cutting up his food before taking a bite.

"So I take it we're at your place?" Hermione asked, nibbling on her own breakfast.

His mouth full, Draco nodded yet again and swallowed before answering, "Yes. Since your place isn't as safe as we thought, I thought this would be a better solution, at least for the time being"

"I thought Harry, the _real_ Harry that is, put up wards or something…." Hermione asked, biting her lip in worry.

"He did. He couldn't have entered unless you opened the door for him. And his aurors who were outside thought it was really Potter so they didn't question it when he showed up. The reason why he disappeared is because after your magic pushed him out, they came up to ask what was wrong and he just disapparated."

Hermione nodded and looked around the kitchen, "And your place? It's safe, right?"

Draco reached out, placing his hand on top of hers, and waited until she looked at him, "Yes. It's unplottable and also currently under the Fidelius Charm."

"What's that?" she asked curiously, turning her hand around in his so that their palms now touched.

"It means no one can came here unless they know the address, which can only be given by the secret keeper... me. As it happens, only three people know it. Potter and Weasley _not_ being any of them."

"What about your neighbors?"

"I placed a temporary memory charm on them so even if anyone comes looking, they won't be able to say anything," said Draco, removing his hand from hers so that he could continue eating.

"A memory charm.." said Hermione quietly, her brows furrowed in thought.

"Hm?"

"Nothing.. I just… for some reason that term sounds familiar," she said, still trying to think about it.

"It's probably what the bastards did to you," said Draco, trying to control his anger.

She shook her head, her curly hair brushing her shoulders, "No… it's something from… before. I just can't place it."

"Well, write it down in your notebook. Maybe something will come up later," he suggested.

"Yeah.. I will," she said, giving him a small smile. She glanced at the clock and looked at him curiously, "Is today your day off?"

"I took a sick day," he said.

"Really? Please don't say it's because of me.."

"Hermione, it's fine. I actually have errands I need to do today so it's not a complete waste," he said.

Hermione stared at him, her mouth agape in wonder.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"You called me 'Hermione'," she said.

He gave her a casual shrug, "I figured it was about time. I mean, we _have_ been living with each other for the past week, and you've been calling me 'Draco" for longer than that."

She smiled widely at him as she got up and walked around to him, "Stand up, please."

He gave her a curious look, "Why?" But he complied. As soon as his legs were straightened, she wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her cheek against his chest.

Draco sighed, wrapping his own arms around her and resting his chin atop of her head.

"You're hugging me back," she said, her voice muffled by his arms.

"So I am. Guess you're growing on me, Granger," he said.

She let go of him and looked up, poking his stomach, "Don't you go back to that 'Granger' business. You called me 'Hermione, now you're sticking to it."

Draco grinned down at her, "Bossy thing, aren't you?"

She gave him a smirk and a shrug and hugged him again, breathing in his scent, and feeling the most secure she had been in a long time.

* * *

The door to Sir Nott's Apothecary and Potions Emporium (or S.N.A.P.E. as he liked to call it) chimed as a customer walked in. Theodore Nott, who had been stocking some shelves, called out "Be with you in a second!" There was no response as he continued to put away his wares before finally heading to the front of the store.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is Draco Malfoy really in my establishment?" said shop owner as he gave his guest a wide grin, holding out his hand in greeting.

Draco smiled back, gripping the other man's hand, "Good to see you, Theo. Been a while."

"I'll say. About five or six years, yeah?"

"Something like that," said Draco, glancing around the shop. "This used to be owned by the old geezer who wouldn't sell to Slytherins, right?"

Theo grinned, "Yup. Bloke decided to retire and sell. Joke's on him as not only am I a Slytherin, but I also renamed the store to spell out the name of the best Potions Master ever... who _also_ happened to be a Slytherin."

"You know he's dead right? No need to keep kissing up to ol' Severus," said Draco, giving his former classmate a wry grin and a wink before continuing. "Congrats though, the place looks nice."

"Thanks. Are you looking for anything specific, or did you just come to catch up?" asked Theo, going behind the counter and adjusting a few bottles in the display case.

"Maybe stuff for Dreamless Sleep, if you have it?"

Theo nodded, "It's actually a top seller, especially since after the war… Do you want ingredients to brew it yourself, or the actual potion? We have both."

"I haven't brewed potions in a long time… work keeps me too busy to give them the attention they need, you know? I'd hate to mess them up."

Theo noddd, "Yeah, I understand that. Even though I own the shop, I barely have time to brew anything myself. I have a few assistants who do it for me though."

Draco nodded, "So clientele is pretty good then?"

"Oh yeah, I make a killing right before term starts at Hogwarts," said Theo, waving his wand as a case of Dreamless Sleep floated over to them.

"What about after term starts? Still keep pretty busy?"

"Pretty well, I'd say. Lots of witches who stay at home, mostly mums, come to get stuff for ailments or ingredients to make their own," said Theo, ringing up Draco's order.

"Does the name of the store scare people away? Or do mostly Slytherin's come in?"

Theo laughed, "What's with all the questions? I get all sorts of people in here. Hell, even Potter's wife and Granger have been in here."

 _Bingo_ , thought Draco. "Really?" he said, feigning surprise. "Do you see them often? Or anyone else from our year at school?"

"Well, Potter's wife I see fairly regularly. Granger, well, it's been a few weeks. But last time she was in here, she was talking about going on vacation to see her folks."

"Oh, so you guys are pretty chummy then?"

"Me and Granger? Nah. I just overheard her talking to Potter."

"Ah… well, how much do I owe you?"

Theo looked at the till, "50 galleons."

Draco rummaged in his cloak pocket and pulled out a satchel of coins. He handed Theo the money then shrunk and pocketed the box of vials. "So what else have you been up too?"

Theo shrugged, leaning his elbows on the counter, "Not much. I practically live here, especially since my flat is above the shop. What about you?"

"Same. Work keeps me busy."

"You're a healer, right?"

Draco nodded, "Pediatrics."

"I gotta say, Draco, that was not the profession I thought you'd choose," said Theo thoughtfully.

"To be honest, me either, but I actually like my job and even the people I work with," said Draco with a light shrug. "Any special witch in your life?"

"Who me? Nah. Kind of hard catching one, especially since my family was involved with the Dark Lord. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about," Theo said, nodding towards Draco.

"Pretty much yeah."

"I, uh, I did attempt on asking Granger out, once," Theo said, embarrassed.

Draco's brows raised in surprise, "Really? How did that go?"

"She practically laughed in my face," said Theo, somewhat embarrassed, but his features changed quickly and he gave another slight shrug, "I knew it was a long shot anyways."

"I'd be pissed though," said Draco, trying to gage Theo's reaction, "If she were to laugh in _my_ face, well... what I wouldn't give to get her back for that, you know?"

Theo raised a brow skeptically at the blonde, "Yeah… I guess." The door to the shop chimed and Theo cleared his throat, "I should probably go help that customer. I'll see you around?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah, sounds good. Maybe we can grab a pint one of these nights."

Theo nodded again, "Sure, yeah, That would be great. Next week maybe?"

Draco nodded and watched as Theo went up the new customers and started talking to them. He left the establishment, hands in his pockets, unaware of the eyes peeking through the curtains above the shop, scowling in his direction.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Cute little chapter for you lovely readers this morning. Enjoy!**

* * *

"So these are the conversations that you had between Greengrass and Nott?" Harry asked, pocketing the vials.

Draco nodded, "Yes, and I plan on meeting up with Bulstrode tomorrow. I heard rumor of a place she frequents for lunch and I'll just 'happen' to run into her."

Harry nodded, "Great. Thanks Malfoy." He stood up from the chair he was sitting. They were in Malfoy's office, since Draco coming into the Ministry caused too much suspicion. Harry shuffled his foot a bit, "So, um, how's Hermione?"

Draco gave a nonchalant shrug, "As good as someone who's terrified of everyone and everything around her can be."

"She's safe though, right?" Harry confirmed.

"Very. If that changes, I'll let you know, but we should be ok. I feel bad that she doesn't get out of the flat at all, but even if she wanted too, I don't think it's wise, not right now."

"I agree," Harry said. He took a breath and let out a sigh, "Ginny's pregnant."

Draco nodded, "I suspected as much."

Harry looked at the blonde, "How? We only found out last week."

"I'm a Healer, Potter, I catch onto things that most don't," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"What clued you in to Ginny?" Harry asked quizzically.

"Well, when I was over for dinner, she drank water, while we had Butterbeer, and I know that girl loves butterbeer if rumors are true." Harry glared at this, but let Draco continue, "She only ate mashed potatoes and didn't touch the meat. I also never really thought of her as a cryer and I've seen her get a little emotional a few times… plus, your son is 2 and that's usually when people start trying for another kid."

Harry scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, well, that was one of the main reasons why Ginny wanted her over the other night… even if Hermione doesn't remember her, she still wanted to tell Hermione herself." He sighed and shook his head, pulling out a dark green scarf from the pocket of his cloak, wrapping it around his neck.

Draco raised a brow, "Green, Potter? That's not usually the color you represent."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Gin's mum made it for me and it's charmed to keep me warm and dry from snow. Plus," he said, as he pulled on matching gloves, "I'm told it makes my eyes pop."

The two stared at each other for a second before they both snorted with laughter.

"Seriously though," said Harry once he stopped laughing, "It's freezing out there and the charm-work on this is _amazing_."

"Alright, quit your bragging and get your arse back to work already," Draco said, shooing Harry away.

"Yeah, yeah. See ya Malfoy," Harry said, walking towards the door. "You know.." he continued, turning back around to look at Draco, who raised a brow at him, "They say it's supposed to snow tonight...first time this winter."

"OK….and?" Draco asked with an impatient hand gesture that told Harry to keep going.

"Hermione loves it when it first snows.. says it's the best time to play in it since it's so fresh and new. She usually goes out and builds a snowman, then puts a stasis spell on it so it lasts all winter."

"Alright, and why are you telling me this?" Draco asked, giving Harry a perplexed look.

Harry shrugged, opening the office door, "Just figured you'd like to know."

Draco tapped a pen on his desk a few times, pondering what Potter told him and wondered if he would have time to get a winter coat before heading back home.

* * *

When Draco walked into his flat that evening, a wrapped package tucked under his arm, he found Hermione sitting at the bay window, the side if her forehead pressed against the glass and a book, currently closed, on her lap. She was watching the snow fall and was smiling faintly at the scene in front of her. It was at that moment that Draco knew he was done for. Not only was he starting to care for his former adversary, but he was starting to have actual feelings for her… feelings he knew he didn't deserve. As he shook his head to get rid of the thought, he closed the door, causing Hermione to look over to him, giving him one of her bright smiles.

"Evening, Healer Malfoy. How was your day at work?" she asked, getting up from the bay window and walking over to him.

"It was the usual. Sick kids, overly worried parents. Only got sneezed on ten times today," he said, placing the package on the couch as he pulled off his cloak.

Who's that for?" she asked, indicating to the package.

"Oh, just for someone who I know, who happens to be staying with me for a while," he said with a smirk.

Hermione's eyes lit up, "You mean it's for me?"

Draco picked up the box, "Why don't you open it and find out?"

Hermione nearly squealed as she tore open the wrapping, letting it drop the floor where Cleo began to bat at it.

Under the wrapping was box and as she opened the lid, she found a dark purple winter jacket, complete with matching waterproof gloves and a scarf.

"It's lovely," she said with a hesitant smile, "But.. why did you get me this? Are we going somewhere?"

"Only to the roof," he said, smirking some more.

"The roof?" she asked, thoroughly puzzled.

"Why don't you put on the jacket and come see?" he suggested, taking his own winter coat off the coat rack and slipping it on.

Hermione tucked her arms into the sleeves of her jacket and zipped it up. Draco wrapped her scarf around her neck, securing it snuggly. She pocketed the gloves then he took her hand and pulled her towards the bay window, opening it. She watched as he climb outside and stood on a small balcony, just big enough for two people to stand on. She followed suit and noticed there was a ladder on the side of the window that she hadn't seen before. She watched as Draco began to climb it, hesitating only a moment before following him.

When they reached the roof, Hermione opened her mouth in amazement, for before them was a large open area with fresh powdered snow that overlooked London.

"It's beautiful," she said. She turned to look at him, "Why did you bring me up here though?"

"A few reasons," he said, meeting her eye before looking at the scenery in front of him, "First, I know you're probably tired of being cooped up, and since no one can see us up there, I figured it was the safest place to go to get some fresh air." Hermione smiled at his thoughtfulness as he continued, "Secondly, I was informed that the first snow of winter was special to you. And third," he scooped up a handful of snow, balling it in his hands, and looked menacingly at her, "I've always wanted to do this."

Before she could react, he grabbed her by the scarf to pull her close, then dropped the snowball on her head, making her gasp.

"Ohhhhh you're done for, Malfoy!" she said, scooping up her own snowball and throwing at Draco, who had started to run across to the other side of the roof. They lofted snowballs at eachother, dodging and throwing aimlessly, laughing when they met their target. When Hermione got him in the back of the head, and snow running down his back, he conceded to her victory, plopping himself into the snow and leaning back on his elbows. Hermione, breathing heavy from running around, sat next to him, then threw herself back, moving her arms up and down and her legs side to side, creating a snow angel. She sat up and looked at her handywork before smiling at Draco, who was watching her with amusement.

"I love making snow angels," she said, "But not as much as I love making snowmen. Want to help me?"

Draco smiled, "Sure."

They worked together building the snowman, making it almost as tall as Draco. Hermione laughed when Draco used his magic to give the snowman funny faces until they both agreed on the perfect one. As Draco pulled out a scarf from his pocket, he handed it to Hermione who put it around the snowman, completing its ensemble.

"Perfect," she said, stepping back to view their handiwork.

"Not quite," said Draco, as he pulled out his wand once more, and waved it towards the snowman, a shimmering glow surrounding it briefly before disappearing.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"A stasis spell. So he can last all winter," he said, pocketing his wand.

Hermione looked at him in amazement before going on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she said, "For a wonderful evening."

"You're welcome. But, I'm freezing my arse off, so would you mind if we went inside? I can make us some hot cocoa?" he offered.

"That sounds lovely," she said.

* * *

They sat in front of the fireplace, playing wizard's chess and drinking hot cocoa in their pajamas as the flames lit the room around them.

"I had another memory," Hermione said, as she moved her knight, "While we were on the roof."

"Oh?" asked Draco, moving one of his pieces, capturing one of her pawns, "Was it a memory from..."

She shook her head, "No. It was a… happy memory. I was with Harry and Ron and we were playing in the snow near a very tall house." She made another move, capturing one of his pieces. "It was the first time I thought of them and didn't feel my gut wrench."

Draco looked at her, "That's good. It means your brain is trying to let you know that they _are_ your friends." He moved another piece, "Check."

Hermione rested her chin into her hand, contemplating her next move. She smiled, and moved her piece, "Checkmate."

Draco cursed under his breath, "How is it that you can't remember any spells, but you can kick my arse at Wizard's Chess?"

"Twice," she reminded him, holding up two fingers.

"You know, it's not polite to brag," he said grumpily.

"Who says I'm polite?" she asked teasingly. "Another round?"

"I think I've been humiliated enough for now, thanks," said Draco wryly.

Hermione chuckled, "Alright fine. What should we do then?"

Draco glanced at the clock on the wall, "I should really get to bed. I have an early shift tomorrow."

"Oh..." she said slightly disappointed. "I guess I'll just go read for a bit."

Draco nodded as he stood up. He used his wand to transform his couch into a Queen size bed.

"Are you sure you don't want your bedroom back?" Hermione asked, standing next to him, biting her lower lip. "I feel bad that I kicked you out of your room."

Draco reached out and placed a hand on her cheek, letting his thumb rub along her bottom lip, willing her to stop worrying at it, "Stop it. It's fine. You're my guest here so you get the bedroom."

"Is that all I am?" she asked quietly, looking into his eyes, "Just a guest?"

Her gave her a small smile, "You know you're more than that."

They stared at each other for a moment, Draco's eyes shifting to her lips as she licked them. Sighing, he leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against hers, "I need to get to bed," he whispered, removing both his hand and his forehead from hers.

Hermione closed her eyes briefly and nodded, "Alright. I'll see you in the morning."

He watched as she walked to his bedroom, and his groin twitched at the thought of her sleeping in _his_ bed. He took a deep breath, trying to get his hormones under control as he spotted Cleo sitting atop the bed he made for himself.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Cleo," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. Cleo hopped down and sauntered towards to the bedroom door, stopping once to look back at him.

"Traitor," he said to the cat.

Cleo continued to walk into the bedroom, and Draco never knew until this moment, how very jealous of a cat he could be.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hope everyone had a great weekend! My family and I kept busy going to parks and doing some Pokemon Hunting. I did very little writing, but I'm sure I'll make it up throughout the week. Enjoy!**

* * *

Draco sat near back of the bistro that he knew Millicent Bulstrode usually frequented; at least according to Healer Bones. Apparently, the Weasel took her here a few times for lunch and each time they stopped in, his former housemate had been there as well. It was nearing the end of his lunch break however, and she had yet to show. Calling defeat, he started to get up and leave some money on the table when the door opened and Millicent walked in. Draco's mouth nearly hung open as he spotted the former Slytherin. While in school she was more burly, heavy set, and well, let's just say not the most attractive person in their house; she now looked completely different. She was still tall, an inch or so taller than Draco himself, but she lost a lot of her weight, and her hair and makeup were done rather well. _Working for the Prophet must really agree with her_ , he thought to himself. He didn't have to feign surprise when he walked up to her, "Millie?" he asked.

Millicent glanced up from her seat, the puzzled look on her face turn to recognition as she gave Draco a wide smile, "Draco?" She stood up, her high heels she was wearing making her nearly three inches taller than himself, and gave him a quick hug, "I haven't seen you since.. Well, since Hogwarts," she said.

Draco scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, I haven't been very good at keeping up with anyone. Though lately I've been seeing a lot of our former housemates. Guess it's time to stop being such a recluse."

Millicent laughed, "I suppose so. Would you like to join us? My husband should be here any minute."

"Husband?" Draco asked, as he took a seat across from her, his back to the door, "Who's the lucky bloke? Anyone I know?"

Millicent laughed into her hand, "I should say so. But I'll let you see for yourself."

Draco quirked a brow as the bell chimed again. He turned saw another person he hadn't seen since Hogwarts; Gregory Goyle.

Goyle glanced around the restaurant until he spotted their table and started walking over.

"Hey love, sorry I'm late," he said, leaning down to kiss Millicent's cheek.

"It's alright, look who I found," she said, gesturing towards Draco.

Goyle finally noticed Draco and his eyes widened, "Well, I'll be Salazar's uncle… Malfoy?"

Draco grinned at his old friend, "Hello Goyle. Long time," he said, offering his hand.

Goyle took his hand, but pulled him up and into a hug, catching Draco by surprise.

"It's, uh, good to see you too," Draco said awkwardly.

Goyle finally let him, "Sorry, Drake, it's just…. Really good to see you. How've you been? Are you joining us for lunch?" Goyle took a seat next to his wife, intertwining his hand with hers.

"I can't stay long; my lunch break is almost over. But I'm doing good. I'm a healer now, in pediatrics."

"Pediatrics?" Millicent repeated, looking happily surprised. She looked to Goyle and they both exchanged a look and a nod before turning their attention back to Draco. "We just found out we're pregnant. Or, well, I'm pregnant," she said, giving a nervous giggle.

"Congratulations," said Draco with a genuine smile.

"And well… we're going to be in the market for a pediatrician…. Happen to know anyone?" Goyle asked, winking.

Draco chuckled, "It shouldn't be a problem. I'd be glad too."

"Thanks, mate," said Goyle gratefully.

Draco nodded, "So how have _you_ been?"

Goyle gave a shrug, scratching the side of his nose, "Well, I had a hard time after Crabbe…. Well, after Crabbe died. It took almost dying of alcohol poisoning to finally snap me back to reality. I got my life back together, got a job, started working out and taking care of myself. I even started studying to take my N.E.W.T.S. That's where Millie and I met. We'd always be running into each other at the library and ended up helping each other out. After we were done with our testing, I proposed. We got married a few months ago." He looked over at his wife, and they both smile at each other.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around," said Draco quietly.

Goyle glanced back at him, "It's ok Draco. You were busy with your own stuff. But now that we've run into each other, we should try and get together more often."

Draco nodded, "Yeah, that sounds good."

He looked at the couple before them and realized he didn't really want to try and see if they knew anything about Hermione; they were completely different people then at school and he just couldn't imagine _this_ Goyle doing anything like that. He promised Potter though, so he let out a sigh and asked, "Well, I should get going, but before I do, I need to talk to you about something.. In private Greg, if that's alright?"

Goye looked at him and frowned, "Sure Draco." He looked to Millie and kissed her cheek, "I'll be back in a moment. Order my usual?"

Millie smiled and agreed, before looking over to Draco, "It was good seeing you, Draco."

"You too, Mills," he gave her a nod goodbye and walked towards the door, Goyle following after him.

"What's up, Draco?" asked Goyle once they were outside.

Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "When was the last time you've seen Granger?" he asked.

"Granger? As in Potter's Gryffindor Princess Granger?"

Draco nodded.

"Geeze, I don't know. Maybe a handful of times? Usually in passing in Diagon Alley or at the Ministry," said Goyle.

"The Ministry?" asked Draco.

"Yeah, that's where we work. She works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and I work in the Department of Magical Equipment Control. Our paths don't necessarily cross much," Goyle said with a shrug, "Why? You fancy her or something and trying to figure out where she's at so you can 'run' into her?" He jabbed Draco with his elbow playfully.

Draco chuckled, "No, not that. It's just... something I'm looking into for someone else, that's all."

Goyle chuckled softly, "That sounds convincing." He glanced back towards the restaurant, "I should probably head back. We'll get together for a pint later though?"

Draco nodded in agreement and Goyle made his way back inside. The wind picked up and Draco tightened his coat around himself. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking then apparated to work. He sat in his chair, thinking about how he'd talked to all the people Potter had and he had yet to make any breakthroughs either. Cursing under his breath, he pulled out a vial from his desk drawer, and used his wand to retrieve the memory of the past hour. Once it was in the vial and stoppered, he put it in his canvas bag to deliver to Potter after his shift. For now though, he had a little girl in room 8, who appeared to have come down with a case Mumblemumps.

* * *

After Draco dropped off the vial at the Potters (and Ginny shoved some homemade soup into his hands to send home with him) he finally entered his flat. Hermione wasn't in her usual place at the bay window and he wondered briefly where she was. Cleo came walking out of his bedroom and greeted him by rubbing against his legs and meowing. He bent over and picked her up, rubbing her belly and earning a bat to his hand, "Hey now," he said, "Be nice." Cleo mewed and started to purr. "That's better. So where's our house guest at this evening?"

Cleo mewed again and jumped out of his arms and walked towards the bedroom. He followed the cat and knocked on the slightly-open door, "Hermione?" he called. Hearing no answer, he opened the door further and noted that there was a light coming from under the bathroom. He went over and knocked, "Hermione?" he called again.

"Oh, you're home already? I must have lost track of time. I'll be out in a minute," she called back.

"No rush, take your time, I'll just be in the living room when you get out. I also have some soup," he said as he unbuttoned his work shirt. He slipped it off and tossed it in a hamper on the floor before rummaging around his dresser drawers for a grey long-sleeve shirt and lounge pants.

He heard the tub in the bathroom begin to drain so he made his way to the kitchen and divided the soup into two large bowls.

He decided to forgo all his upbringing and bring the soup to the living room to eat.

As he was levitating the soup and making the coffee table slightly taller so it could be used as a table while they sat on the couch, Hermione finally emerged from his bedroom. He glanced over at her and his mouth went dry; Her hair was still wet and it was dripping on the shirt she was wearing, which was one of his old Falmouth Falcons long-sleeve t-shirts (one of his favorites that was very worn in) and a pair of grey and white plaid lounge pants, which he could tell hung low on her hips. She looked at him shyly and said, "I hope this is ok? I ran out of clean clothes and I didn't know where to wash mine..."

Draco swallowed, willing himself to find his voice, "It's fine. Just leave your clothes in the hamper in the room and I'll get it taken care of."

Hermione nodded as she walked over to the couch, "This smells amazing," she said as she sat down. She picked up the spoon and took a sip, her eyes lighting up, "I've had this before," she said, eating a spoonful, "I think.. I think Ron's mum used to make this for us whenever we visited during winter holiday."

Draco nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised. Ginny made this. It's probably her mum's recipe," he said, eating some of the soup as well.

They ate their soup in companionable silence while Cleo sat on the floor, staring at up them, her tail twitching. Draco glanced down and rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright." He fished out a piece of chicken from his soup and handed it over to his cat. Cleo mewed happily as she took the offered meat and sauntered off.

Hermione tsked teasingly, "You spoil her," she said with a grin.

Draco shrugged, "I'll just consider it her payment for babysitting _you_ all day."

Hermione smacked his arm playfully and they both laughed as they continued eating their dinner.

Later, with their belly's full and the soup bowls relocated to the kitchen, the two of them sat on opposite sides of the couch, both leaning against armrests, and their legs stretched out in front of them. Every now and again, Draco would poke the bottom of Hermione's foot just to hear her squeal. He worked on paperwork from his office while she read a book from his shelf and Cleo would sit on top of their legs, demand attention from one or the other.

Draco glanced up from his work and noticed that Hermione was nibbling on her lower lip again and her eyes, while looking at her book, were unfocused. He got her attention by wiggling her big toe and she jumped in surprise, her eyes looking up at him.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, before turning his attention back to his paperwork and jotting stuff down.

Hermione hesitated before finally asking, "I was just wondering….What does 'mudblood' mean?"

The pen in Draco's hand stilled as he let her words sink in. He looked up at her slowly, his brows creased slightly at her question, "What?" he asked.

"I was, well… I was just wondering what it meant," she said as she sat up and pulled the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing up to her elbow. "It's on my arm… and…. and sometimes during those dreams I have, they call me it." Her fingers traced the words that were branded into her by his deranged aunt and Draco felt a surge of guilt run through him. He sat up, setting his papers down on the coffee table that was now it's regular size. Hermione watched him, waiting patiently for him to answer her.

"It's, well… it's a term used to describe someone who… was born of non-magical parents," he started, not looking at her, "It means 'muddy' or 'dirty blood'… It's mostly used by those who were born from privileged, pure-blood families..."

Hermione cast her eyes down again to the words on her arm, "Like… your family?" she asked quietly.

Draco nodded.

"Did… did you ever call me that?" she asked.

Draco closed his eyes and nodded again. He waited for her to say something, or to hear her leave the room and slam a door. Instead, he felt her warm hand rest on top of his clenched one. He opened his eyes and slowly looked up at her, her eyes focused intently on his.

"Is this the part of our history you've been afraid to tell me about?" she asked.

"Some of it, yes," he said, shifting his hand so that he was holding hers with in his.

She looked at their joined hands, biting her lower lip again, "Can you tell me the rest? Of our past?"

Draco took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh, "I suppose it's time. But… I think it might be better if I show you our past, instead of just telling you."

Hermione tilted her head and looked at him curiously, " _Show_ me?"

"There's a way," he said, standing up and pulling her along with him, "For us to use magic to extract our memories and view them, or let others view them."

"Oh.." she said, letting him lead her towards his study.

"You have to have a special basin, a Pensieve, to view the memories in. I happen to have one."

He let go of her hand and she stood back as he waved his wand over his desk. The desktop split in two, each piece floating to the side as a stone basin rose up from the middle.

"Wow," she said under her breath as Draco walked around the other side of the desk. Using his wand, he put the tip to his temple and closed his eyes, concentrating. When he finally pulled the wand away from his forehead, Hermione gasped as thin, silver strands of his memories were being pulled away and dropped into the basin. He did this a few more times until he finally opened his eyes. He let out a shaky breath as he stared into the Pensieve.

He looked at Hermione and he motioned for her to stand next to him. When she reached his side, he interlocked his fingers with hers.

"Ready?" he asked.

She glanced at the Pensieve, then back at him, "What do I do?"

"Just stick your face into the Pensieve. The magic will do the rest," he said, squeezing her hand gently.

Hermione looked back down into the contents of the basin and nodded, "Ok. I'm ready."

Draco nodded, counting to three, and then the two of them plunged their faces into the Pensieve, pulling them into the memories of Draco's past.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the cliffy, but next chapter will be all about going into Draco's memories and it was just too much to add onto this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I apologize in advance for any confusion in this chapter. Words in _Italics_ are the memories. Some scenes are word for word from the actual Harry Potter books. **

* * *

Hermione's world spun. She closed her eyes at the sensation, gripping Draco's hand like a vice. When she felt her feet land, she finally opened up her eyes and gasped in amazement. They were on a train platform and before her was an enormous red train engine.

"That's the Hogwarts Express; It took us to school," Draco explained.

Hermione nodded, "I… I remember it."

" _Narcissa," said a voice, "Stop coddling the boy."_

" _But Lucius, I've spent every day with him the past eleven years. I think I'm allowed to cling to my only child a bit longer," said a woman's voice in response._

Hermione turned around and came face to face with the Malfoy family. A tall man with long blond hair, tied loosely behind him, stood next to his elegant and equally tall wife. In front of them was 11yr old Draco Malfoy, looking embarrassed.

"Awe," Hermione said, "You're adorable."

Draco rolled his eyes but smiled.

" _Now, remember Draco," said Lucius as he stepped up to Draco, kneeling down to look at his son face to face "The friends you make at school are very important. Yes, you have your childhood friends, but any new friends you make need to be made with the utmost caution. You don't want to go hanging out with the wrong sort. Do you understand, son?"_

" _Yes, Father," replied Draco._

" _Good," he stood up to his full height, "Have a good start of term. Remember to write your mother."_

 _Narcissa stepped up then, dabbing her eyes, "Oh my little boy. You're so grown up now." She bent over and hugged him fiercely and whispered into his ear "I packed some of your favorite sweets for you in your bag."_

" _Thank you, Mother," said Draco. He kissed her cheek before finally turning around and walking onto the train._

The scene changed and the two of them found themselves inside one of the train compartments. Young Draco was sitting next to a little girl with short, black hair and a pug nose face. Across from them were two burly looking boys. Draco looked sadly at Crabbe, remembering his long-time friend.

Hermione wondered why they were here when there was a knock on the compartment door. She turned around as the young Draco opened it and came face to face with her younger self.

" _Um, excuse me, but has anyone here seen a toad?"_

 _Draco gave her a disgusted look, "A toad?"_

 _Hermione nodded, "Yes. A boy named Neville lost his."_

 _Draco rolled his eyes, "There's no toad in here. Tell Longbottom to keep better track of his crap."_

" _No need to be so rude," said Hermione hotly before walking off._

Draco smiled and leaned over to whisper into Hermione's ear, "Awe, you're adorable."

Hermione poked him playfully as the younger Draco began to talk to his friends.

" _Has anyone ever seen that girl before?"_

 _Crabbe and Goyle both shook their heads then went back to looking at the comic they were sharing._

 _The girl next to Draco scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I saw her on the platform. Her parents are muggles. Mother told me that she could spot them a mile away."_

" _A Muggleborn?" Draco said, sneering, "I should have shoved her off and closed the door in her ugly face." His companions laughed as Draco pulled out a chocolate frog from his cloak pocket and bit its head off, gazing out the window to watch the countryside pass them by._

Hermione looked at Draco, slightly hurt, as the scene changed.

"Just… watch," said Draco, pleadingly.

 _The scene changed and now they were in a classroom. The professor at the head of the class had asked a question and only two people raised their hands to answer; Hermione and Draco. The teacher called upon Hermione who got the question correct, earning the Gryffindor House five points while Draco scowled at the back of Hermione's head. The scene changed again and again, all the same, as the school year progressed. It was clear that Hermione and Draco were equal in intellect but the only teacher that seemed to notice, or care, was Snape, who would praise Draco and ridicule Hermione._

 _The scene changed again and this time, they were in middle of a large family room. Draco was standing before his father, handing him his end-of-term class reports._

" _Good, good. Very nice, Draco. I see you have done excellent your first year," his father said._

 _Draco grumbled, "I would be the lead in all of my classes, if it wasn't for that stupid Granger girl."_

" _Granger? I don't think I know anyone by the name," his father said._

" _You wouldn't. Her parents are muggles," informed Draco._

 _Lucius's face turned to stone. He set the report down, glaring down at his son, "You mean to tell me, that you are being beaten in all areas of study by a stupid… muggleborn…. little… girl?"_

 _Draco gulped, stepping back at the tone of his father's voice, "Father, it isn't my fault. She's freakishly smart. Her nose is always in a book, and-"_

 _ **Slap.**_

 _Draco's hand came up to his cheek where his father's handprint was starting to show in a pink hue. He held back the tears as his father talked again, low and commanding, "You will_ not _let some mudblood girl best you in your studies. Do you understand?"_

 _Draco nodded, "Yes, Sir."_

" _Good. Now get out of my sight," his father said, turning his back to his son._

"Oh… Draco," said Hermione, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back.

"Don't. Please. Just… keep watching," Draco said.

Hermione nodded as the scene changed.

 _They were standing on the quidditch pitch, two teams, one red and one green, faced each other. For some reason, Hermione and Ron were over there as well._

" _At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in_ _._ _They got in on pure talent_ _," Hermione said hotly._

 _Draco sneered. "_ _No one asked your opinion, you fiIthy little Mudblood,_ " _he spat._

 _Hermione's face twisted in both anger and embarrassment while Draco received praise from his teammates._

"That was the first time I called you that word," Draco said quietly, his eyes downcast.

Hermione nodded, fighting back tears for her younger self.

Draco rubbed his thumb along hers. "I'm sorry."

"You weren't then," she said.

He shook his head, "No… I wasn't."

T _he scene changed again and they were back at the Malfoy home. Lucius stared down at his class report. He looked up at his son, "Still second in your class, I see," he said, balling up the report and tossing it into the fireplace._

" _Father, I can explain…"_

 _ **Slap.**_

 _Draco breathed hard, holding back the anger and tears and clenched his jaw, "I'm sorry Father. I'll try harder."_

" _See that you do."_

 _The scene changed again. Hermione was stalking up to Draco, raising her hand._ _She slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Draco staggered._

" _Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul - you evil-"_

 _Ron had intervened before Hermione could hit him again. Draco and his friends walked off, back towards the dungeons._

Hermione glanced at Draco, and he gave her a smirk and shrug, "I deserved it. And I'd never admit it then, but you gained a little more respect from me that day.

"Hm, so I should hit your more often. Got it," she said, a slight smile on her face.

The scene changed and Hermione jumped at the screaming coming from all around her. They were in the middle of a forest and she spotted the younger Draco leaning against a tree, a ways back from where the commotion was taking place.

A moment later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione emerged and came face to face with Draco.

"This was at the Quidditch World Cup, right before fourth year," Draco said quietly.

Hermione nodding, listening in on the conversation before them.

" _Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you"?" he said, nodding at Hermione_

" _What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked._

" _Granger, they're after Muggles," Draco informed. "Do you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around… they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."_

As the younger Harry snarled a comment at the 14yr old Draco, Hermione glanced at the one beside her, before turning her attention back to the scene.

" _Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."_

"You were warning me…" she said softly.

Draco nodded, "You didn't seem to think so then

She watched as her younger self grabbed Ron by the arm and took off, "I think I did…" she said softly as she noticed the younger Hermione turn around and study the back of the Draco's head, who was watching the action before him with a scowl on his face.

The scene swirled and they were in the middle of a ballroom.

"Where are we now?" Hermione asked Draco, noticing his teenage self next to her, standing with that same pug faced girl from the train.

"Yule Ball… fourth year. Watch," he said, indicating to some doors starting to open.

Four sets of couples walked out and was she surprised to see that Harry was one of them with a vaguely familiar looking girl on his arm. What caught her eye the most though, was a girl in a periwinkle dress, on the arm of some boy who looked extremely handsome. It took her a moment to realize that that girl was _her_.

She glanced at the Draco beside her who was staring at his former self. His date was muttering insults towards Hermione but all the younger Draco could do was stare at the younger Hermione.

"I thought you were beautiful…" Draco said, leaning down and whispering in her. It sent chills up her back. She met his eyes and and smiled, "You looked pretty nice yourself there, Malfoy."

"If it wouldn't have sent me to my grave, I was almost tempted to ask you to dance," Draco admitted.

"Really?" asked Hermione, surprised.

Draco nodded and the scene changed again.

 _A few years seemed to have passed. Draco was back in his home, but instead of his father standing before him, there was a man who was the most hideous person Hermione had ever seen. His face was snakelike, with thin lips and red-slitted eyes. Draco was on his knees before him._

" _Draco Malfoy," said the man,_ (his voice sent shivers down Hermione's back as it seemed to hiss) _, "Do you solemnly swear to give your life to me? To serve me henceforth, until the day you die?"_

" _I.. I do," said Draco._

"Voldemort…" Hermione whispered.

" _Give me your left arm, Draco," said the man. Draco lifted his arm, shaking slightly._

" _And now, I place upon you, the Dark Mark…." said Voldemort._

 _The dark wizard lifted his wand and the moment it touched Draco's skin, his face began to contort with pain. He held in the screams he wished to yell as the Mark burned into his flesh. When it was complete, Draco clutched his arm to chest, panting. His father, who had been standing off to the side, had a look of pride upon his face, while his mother dabbed at her eyes._

" _You are now a Death Eater, young Malfoy. Please, stand up and join your brothers," Voldemort said._

 _The scene changed quickly and they were inside a bed chamber. Draco was lying on his side, clutching his arm and crying into his pillow. His mother came in with a bowl and a rag. She sat on the edge of the bed and submerged the rag into the bowl._

" _Here, Draco, this will help with the pain," she said softly._

 _Draco sniffled and sat up, holding out his arm. It was red and blotchy around the Mark now imprinted onto his skin. His mother wrapped the cloth around the wound and relief washed over Draco's face._

" _Thank you, Mother," he said._

 _She nodded, before slowly bringing a delicate hand up to his cheek._

" _You were so brave, my son," she said._

" _I was a coward," Draco said angrily, looking his mother in the eyes. "I didn't want this. I still don't."_

" _Shh. Shh," she said, trying to calm down her son, "I know, my love, I know. But, you can't go talking like that or it will surely get you killed. You have to act as if though you are proud of this, even to your closest friends. Do you understand."_

 _Draco looked down at his arm with disgust, but nodded, "I understand, Mother."_

A single tear ran down Hermione's cheek as the scene changed and Draco braced himself for what was to come.

 _They were in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. Draco was standing by the fireplace, staring blankly into it as his father came up to him, strangers in his clutches. Upon closer look, Draco realized it was Hermione, Weasley, and Potter. When his father asked if he knew who they were, he shook his head, unsure, and looked back to the fire._

 _The scene changed once more and Hermione was on the floor, screaming in pain. A woman with black, wild hair in black robes was on top of her, using a cursed knife to carve words into her arm._

Hermione gasped and put a shaky hand to her mouth. This was how she got the scars on her arm. She tore her eyes away from the scene before her and spotted Draco from the memory, a look of utmost disgust on his face. But, she realized, it wasn't directed at her, but at the woman inflicting the pain. She looked one last time as the woman continued carving the letters on her arm, her younger self screaming and sobbing.

"Stop," she said shakily.

"What?" asked Draco, thrown out of his trance of the scene before him.

"I can't…. I can't watch anymore. Please. I want to leave," she said, shutting her eyes.

Draco nodded and pulled them out. When they were back in his study, Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes finally landed on Draco, who was watching her.

Tears welled in her eyes as she finally let go of his hand. Without a word, she quickly left the room and not until Draco heard the bedroom door shut, did he finally sit in his office chair, burying his face into his hands, fearing he lost her for forever.

* * *

 **A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter.. please let me know what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I loved all the feedback and response from the last chapter! And I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story still :) Here's another chapter for you all.**

* * *

"And she hasn't come out since?" Harry asked.

Draco shot back his Firewhiskey, wincing at the burn. "Yeah. It's been a full day and I have yet to hear a word from her. I don't know if I should go in there to make sure she's ok, or let her come out when she's ready." He motioned to the waitress for another Firewhiskey then glanced at Potter, "You know her best, what should I do?"

Harry rubbed his chin, a day's worth of stubble scratching his fingers, "Knowing Hermione, she's probably thinking about everything she saw and trying to process it. I would give her another day before you go banging down doors."

Draco groaned, "I shouldn't have shown her the memories. I should have just told her and she could use her imagination of how things were. But no, I had to go and show her and now she'll never look at me the same way again."

"And how _do_ you want her to look at you, Malfoy," asked Harry, sipping his own Firewhiskey.

"Fuck if I know," said Draco. He looked at Harry, who was staring at him and waiting for him to continue, "Alright, fine. I may like her, _a little bit_ , ok?"

Harry nodded, "Ok."

Draco quirked a brow, "What? Not going to punch me or something for admitting I have feelings for your best friend?"

Harry looked at him, "Would you like me to?"

"Not particularly."

"Ok then," he said, taking another sip.

"Fuck, this is weird," said Draco.

"What is?"

"This," he said, motioning between him and Harry, "Drinking together, talking about women. Me, actually wanting to be with Granger. It's just.. It goes against everything I grew up with, that's all," said Draco.

Harry shrugged, "Times have changed. We've grown up. We're not the same kids we were back in school. Which is why I am not going to punch you because you want to be with Hermione. _But_ , I will do the brotherly thing and tell you that if you hurt her in any way, I _will_ hunt you down and cut off your testicals. Got it?"

Draco raised his glass to Potter's clinking them together, "Got it." He took a hearty sip of his drink before nearly slamming down the glass on the counter, "I'll tell you what though, those fuckers who did this to her will be receiving much more than their testicals being cut off once I get through with them."

Harry snorted, "You'll have to get in line." He took a swig of his drink, finishing it, "Though, don't do anything that would land you in Azkaban. I mean, no one would fault you because of what they did, but still… if by chance you get to them before we do, don't do anything stupid."

"I make no promises," he said, finishing off his own glass, "Have you gotten any more clues or leads? What about from the conversations I gave you?"

Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses, "Nothing. Though, we _are_ trying to figure out who has access to me and Ron since they would need our hairs to make the polyjuice potion."

"So it could essentially be anyone… maybe even from the aurors office?" asked Draco.

Harry nodded, "Which makes me sick because I've grown to really trust my team. To think that one, or two, of them would do that is…. Well.." he trailed off.

" _Fucked_. _Up_. Say it, Potter," said Draco.

"Fine, it's... fucked up," Harry said, his cheeks reddening.

"'Atta boy. Another round then?" asked Draco, motioning for the waitress once more.

Harry shook his head, "Nah, I gotta get home soon and I don't want to be too pissed or else Ginny will make me sleep on the couch. Apparently I snore when I drink too much," Harry said, scratching his unruly hair.

"Pansy," Draco said.

"Don't call me a pansy because I know when to stop drinking-"

"No, no," said Draco, focusing on something behind Harry, "Pansy, as in Parkinson, is here."

"What?" said Harry, turning around and looking in the direction Draco was. "How long has she been in town?"

"No clue. I haven't heard from her since the War ended," said Draco. "Let's find out though. Hey! Pansy!"

Pansy didn't seem to hear and continued to talk to another person she was with. Draco wondered if maybe he was wrong and it wasn't Pansy at all, but then he noticed the faint bubble around him and Potter. "Potter, take down the stupid Silencing charm, no wonder she can't hear me."

"Opps, sorry," said Harry, pulling out his wand and ending the charm, "I didn't want anyone overhearing us talk about Hermione."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Hey! Pansy!" Draco called out again, this time catching the attention of the person he was beckoning.

"Draco Malfoy?" she said, walking up, hands on her hips, but a smile on her face. She glanced at Draco then at Harry and raised a brow, "Getting shit-faced with Potter now, huh?"

Draco gave a shrug, "I guess he isn't so bad now."

Harry rolled his eyes before turning to Pansy, "Hello, Parkinson."

"Actually, it's Hernandez now," she said, flashing her ring.

"Oh, well, congratulations," said Harry.

"Thanks, Potter. He's around here somewhere," she said, waving her hand around the room.

"How long have you been back, Pans?" Draco asked, swiping another Firewhiskey from the waitress as she passed by.

"Oh we just got in the other day. Visiting mum for her birthday, plus, she wanted keep the kids overnight so that Sebastián and I can actually have a night to ourselves."

"I'm sorry, but did you say _kids_?" asked Draco, "As in.. you're a mum? And to more than one?"

Pansy snorted, "Yes, I'm a mum. Our daughter is three and our little boy is one and a half." She took a drink offered by the waitress and sipped gingerly. "What about you, Draco? Any kids?"

"I have about _50_ kids," said Draco, chuckling at his own joke.

Pansy wrinkled her brow in confusion, looking to Harry to explain.

"He's a Pediatric Healer… I'm guessing he's referring to his patients."

"Ooooh. Ok," she said, taking another sip, "And you? You have any kids, Potter?"

Harry nodded, "I have a two year old son and a baby on the way."

"Ah, well, cheers to parenthood," said Pansy, raising her glass and taking a large swig. She looked over at Draco, who was currently resting his forehead on the table. "Um, how many of those has he had?" she asked, indicating to the tumbler of Firewhisky in his hand.

"I dunno. Three, maybe four?" said Harry.

"Oh he _needs_ to be cut off. He can have as many butterbeers as he wants, but when it comes to the hard stuff, he has to cap off at three or else he gets sick faster than a hag scares children."

She took the glass from Draco's hand and he grumbled. "You'll thank me later," she said, handing the glass to Harry. She called the waitress over and got Draco a water. "Drink this. All of it, before you head home."

"Yes, mum," said Draco, chuckling. Pansy tsked and opened her purse, rummaging around and until she produced a vial. "Here," she said, handing it to Harry, "Make sure he takes this before he leaves. It's a Sober-Up potion."

Harry took the vial, "Er, um, thanks... Pansy."

"No problem," she said, drinking the rest of her beverage and placing the empty glass on the table, "You don't get to grow up with someone and not know how to handle them."

"True," said Harry, thinking about how much he knew of both Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, that's my husband on the dance floor," she said, waving at someone.

Harry turned around and saw an incredibly handsome man, moving his hips to the music and beckoning Pansy to come over to him.

"Damn he's fucking sexy," said Pansy, licking her lips. "And all mine. Take care of Malfoy, Potter. I'm gonna go dance with my man."

Harry watched as Pansy sashayed over to her husband and began dancing with him. He turned his head to look at Draco, who took a swig of his water and instantly spat it out, demanding where his drink went.

He sighed. How _he_ ended up with a drunk Malfoy, he'll never know.

* * *

Draco shuffled through the door of his flat after one in the morning. The sobering potion had helped, but he still felt dizzy and slightly buzzed. Thankful he never changed the bed back to the couch, Draco stripped until he wore only boxers and slipped into bed.

Hermione heard Draco come home and sat up in the bed she was in. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the time. She frowned, wondering if he had to work this late or if he was out doing something else. She bit her lip and and walked quietly to the door, opening it a crack to peer out into the living. She spotted Draco, lying in the bed and heard him snoring softly. Mustering up her Gryffindor courage, she walked over to the bed he was lying in, pulled back the sheets slightly, and slipped in next to Draco.

Draco murmured and turned towards her, but still continued to sleep. Hermione inched closer, and whispered, "Draco… Draco… are you awake?"

"Hmm?" he responded sleepily.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes before resting her head on the pillow, "I just… I wanted to let you know… I forgive you."

Draco mumbled something incoherent and moved closer to Hermione, draping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. Hermione sighed sleepily as she nuzzled into his chest. "We'll talk in the morning," she promised, before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Draco woke up the smell of lavender and vanilla and a warm body close to his. Still half asleep, he pulled the warmth closer and pressed his nose into a mess of curls, inhaling her scent. "Hermione…" he mumbled.

"Draco?" she mumbled back.

Draco's eyes shot open as he sat upright in bed. "Hermione?" he asked, confused.

She sat up as well and gave him a hesitant smile, "Hi?"

"What?... What happened? Why are you…. We didn't, I mean, I didn't do anything last night, did I?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head quickly, "No. No, nothing like that happened. I just… well, I came to talk to you but you were already asleep… I didn't feel like being alone so I just… slept here." Her cheeks turned pink as she looked up at him, "I hope that was ok?"

He looked at her, shaking his head in disbelief before pulling her close and hugging her, "I thought you'd hate me forever after everything you saw."

Hermione shook her head, "No. I could never hate you, Draco."

He let her go, putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back slightly so he could look at her, "So why didn't you leave that room for a whole day?"

Hermione winced, looking guiltily up at him. "I just.. I needed time to process everything I saw… Plus… watching your memories helped me gain mine back."

Draco blinked, "What?"

"I said, that I have my memories back, or at least most of them. I'm still having trouble remembering anything about my, uh, abduction, but I remember everything else," she said with a small smile.

Draco pulled her close, hugging her again.

"I thought you weren't a hugger," she said, wrapping her arms around his middle and hugging him back, burying her face in his neck.

"And I thought I told you, that you're growing on me."

Hermione nodded, "You're growing on me too."

He pulled back, "So… you're really ok? I mean, now that your memories are back, plus what you saw in the Pensieve…"

Hermione put a finger to his lips, quieting him, "As I told you last night, I forgive you."

"That… that was real?" he asked quietly. "I thought I dreamt that."

Hermione nodded, taking both of his hands in hers, "It's real. I forgive you. For everything."

He shifted their hands so that they intertwined, "And you're… ok, with things like this?" he said, lifting up their hands to eye level.

Hermione smiled at him, "I'm more than ok."

Draco looked down, a troubled look on his face, "Even if I'm a Death Eater?"

Hermione sighed, releasing her one of her hands so she could outline the Mark with her fingers. She bent her head and kissed it, looking up at him. "We are not defined by our scars, Draco. _This_ , does not define you."

He reached out with his free hand, brushing a thumb over the scars on her arm, "And this, does not define you. Not now, not ever."

Hermione reached up and cupped his cheek, before sitting up slightly and brushing her lips against his. He returned the kiss, just as softly as she did. They rested their foreheads against each other and Hermione nuzzled his nose with hers, "Thank you… for saving me that night in the alleyway."

Draco smiled, then kissed her once more, just a slight brush of lips against lips, neither one of them in a hurry to go any further. They shifted on the bed, laying down with their arms wrapped around each other, and just enjoyed each other's company until Cleo jumped onto the bed, demanding they get up and feed her.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally! A first kiss! Only took 17 chapters, lol!**


	18. Chapter 18

Harry sat at the Headquarters table, stifling yet another yawn. He took another sip of the coffee Ginny made him and willed himself to wake up. _Stupid Malfoy_ , he grumbled to himself. It took over an hour to get Draco to drink the Sober-Up potion, and another to send him on his way home. Harry didn't get in until well after midnight and even though it was the weekend, James jumped onto their bed only a few short hours after Harry had finally fallen asleep. He usually let Ginny sleep in on the weekends, but this morning she got up and made breakfast and coffee. He looked over at her, helping James scoop eggs into his mouth and he smiled crookedly at her. Taking another sip and starting to finally feel like himself again, an owl tapped it's beak at the window.

"Wonder who that's from?" asked Ginny.

"I'll get it," said Harry, getting up and kissing Ginny on the cheek as he passed by. He opened the window and the owl flew in, landing on one of the dining room chairs, extending its leg which contained a letter. Harry untied the letter and offered the owl a piece of bacon. The owl hooted, took the offered bacon, and flew off. Harry closed the window and sat at the table, opening the letter addressed to him.

 _Potter,  
_ _Meet me at my office at 9. I have something to show you.  
_ _-Malfoy_

Harry read the note one more time, glancing at the clock. He wondered why Malfoy was at his office when he told him last night that he had the day off.

"Who's it from?" asked Ginny.

"Malfoy. He wants me to meet him at his office to show me something. I wonder if Hermione remembered something…" he wondered aloud.

Ginny took the note and read it, glancing at the time. "You should go and get ready, love. It's nearly 9 now."

Harry drank the rest of the contents of his coffee and nodded, "Yeah, I'm going to head up now to change."

"Don't be too long with Malfoy though. Remember, Ron and Susan are coming over for lunch."

Harry nodded as he walked up the stairs, wondering what Malfoy needed to show him.

* * *

Hermione sat in Draco's office, her knee bobbing up and down with anticipation and nervousness. Draco had stepped out to see a patient so she was alone in his office, waiting for Harry.

At one minute until 9, the flames turned green and Harry stepped out at the same time Hermione stood up.

Harry immediately saw her and his eyes widened in surprise, "Hermione?" he asked.

She gave him a small smile, "Hi, Harry."

"What… what's going on?" he asked, not daring to take a step closer in fear of scaring her off.

Tears filled Hermione's eyes as she walked the short distance to Harry and threw her arms around his neck, "They're back. My memories."

Harry breathed in a shaky breath and squeezed her against him. They stood like that for a moment, before Hermione slowly released herself from his embrace, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so, so, sorry."

"What have you got to be sorry for, 'Mione?" he asked, giving her a lopsided grin.

"I hurt you… I didn't mean to, but I… I couldn't go near you for so long…"

"Shh," he said, stepping closer to put his arms around her, and she flinched instinctively, causing him to stop and step back, confusion spreading across his face.

Hermione whispered, looking downcast, "It's still hard, actually, looking at you, all I see is what happened to me… But now I know... It wasn't really _you_ , or Ron. You both would never do that to me."

"We wouldn't," he said, reaching out slowly and grasping her hand, "And I swear Hermione, I swear that we'll find these guys and they'll pay."

Hermione let out another sob and Harry was able to effortlessly pull her close, holding her while she cried into his shoulder.

Draco walked in and frowned slightly at the sight before him, "Everything alright? I would have thought there would be cheering and laughing when I got back."

Sniffling, Hermione nodded, "Yes, everything is fine. It's hard still… but things will be alright."

Draco gave her a slight smile and nodded, "Glad to hear it."

"Hey 'Mione, why don't you come back with me to Headquarters? Gin and James would love to see you," Harry said.

Hermione's face lit up, "I'd love too." She looked to Draco and bit her lip. Harry looked at Malfoy too, "You're more than welcome to come, Malfoy. Maybe after you're done here?"

"Sure, I mean, if it isn't going to be an issue," he said.

"Do you have a piece of paper?" asked Harry.

Draco went over to his desk and rummaged around until he found some scrap paper and a pen, handing them to Harry.

Harry scribbled down the address and folded it, handing it to Draco. "Read it, then burn it. I'm sure you'll recognize the address anyways."

Draco glanced at the address and smirked, "Yes, I know of the place." He tossed the paper in the bin, and sent it to flames with a simple _Incendio_.

"Whenever you want to come over, just use the floo," said Harry. "It's open to those who I give the address too."

"Will do," Draco nodded.

"Wait a minute…" said Hermione, "I thought you didn't have work today?"

"I don't," he said simply.

"Then who was the patient you went to go see while I waited for- Oh you sneaky Slytherin. You did that on purpose," she said, walking over to Draco and crossing her arms over her chest, a smile playing on her lips.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Granger," he said, mocking her. "Go, spend some time with your friends. I'll be around shortly."

"You sure?" she asked, looking between Draco and Harry, who was busy pretending not to be in the same room as them and inspecting his nails.

He nodded, stepping closer, "I'm sure."

She went on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, "See you, then."

He watched as Harry stepped into the floo, calling out Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione entered the floo next, facing him and giving Draco a shy smile, before disappearing to her destination as well.

* * *

When Draco entered Grimmauld Place a few hours later, it seemed rather empty.

"Hello?" he called out as he set down a duffle bag on the floor.

Harry's head popped out from behind a door, "Oh! Hey Malfoy. Glad you could make it. Come on in, we're all in the kitchen."

Draco walked over to where Harry had appeared from and opened the door, finding a handful of people sitting and talking around a large kitchen table. He quickly spotted Hermione, who had James in her lap, Ginny on her side and Ron on the other. Susan was there as well and looked up when Draco walked in, giving him a small wave and a smile. Draco nodded in greeting as Harry walked up to him, handing him a bottled butterbeer.

"Thanks, Potter," he said, twisting the cap off and taking a sip. "How's she doing?" Draco asked quietly.

Harry gave a slight shrug, "She still jumps a lot and if Ron or I come up to quietly.. or if I try and touch her in any way she'll flinch. I guess it will just take time."

Draco nodded, "I'm sure she'll be back to herself in no time."

"I wanted to give you a heads up, that more of the Weasley family and members of the Order are going to be stopping by for dinner tonight. Molly heard that Hermione was here and she passed along the message that we're having a welcome home party for her."

Draco quirked a brow, "Doesn't she know what Hermione went through? I'm not sure a party with tons of people is something that Hermione will be comfortable with."

Harry nodded, "I agree. But when Molly stopped by earlier and asked if it was alright, Hermione was too polite to say no." He looked to Draco, "You may need to take her back to your place if get's much for her.'

Draco nodded, "I can do that, so long as I'm allowed to stay."

Harry gave him a curious grin, "Why wouldn't you be allowed?"

"I highly doubt members of your Order will want me around," Draco said dryly.

"Who care's what they think," he said, irritatedly. " _I_ invited you. You saved Hermione. Plus, if you're serious about having a relationship with her, you're going to be coming a lot of these things."

Draco groaned, then straightened his features and smiled at the witch who was approaching them.

"Hey," said Hermione to Draco, "When did you get here?"

"Only a few minutes ago. You were with Ginny and James and I didn't want to interrupt," he said, sipping more of his beverage. "Can I talk to you though? In the living room?" he asked, gesturing towards the door.

Hermione nodded, "Sure." She turned to Harry, "We'll just be a moment."

Harry nodded, walking back over to the dining table as the Draco and Hermione headed to the living room.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Draco pulled Hermione close, resting his forehead against hers. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," she said back, circling her arms around his waist.

He lifted her chin and gave her a soft kiss.

"Is this all you wanted? Some privacy so you could kiss me?" she teased.

Draco smirked, "No, but it was a good side benefit." He pulled away from her and walked over to the bag that was on the floor.

"Here," he said, handing it to her.

She gave him a curious look. "What's in it?" she asked, unzipping it.

"You're clothes and stuff," he said simply.

She frowned at him, "Are… are you kicking me out?" she asked.

"No, but I just figured that since you had your memories back, and you weren't as scared of Potter and Weasley, that you'd want to stay here..." he said, trailing off.

She rolled her eyes and walked up to him, "You _are_ daft sometimes, Draco Malfoy." She lifted both hands to his face and made him focus on her. She smiled, "Why on earth would I stay somewhere that you weren't?"

He smiled back, "So you'll be coming back home with me?"

"If you'll have me," she said softly.

He kissed her again, a little harder this time, "Come on," he said, as he pulled away. "Let's go back to the kitchen. If Ginny learned her cooking from her mother, I can't wait to see what's for dinner."

Hermione laughed as he tugged at her hand, feeling happier, and safer, now that Draco was there.

* * *

As the day progressed, more and more people arrived at Grimmauld Place; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley (who started cooking dinner as soon as she got there); George and Angelina; Percy and Audrey; Neville and Hannah; plus a few people that Draco recognized but didn't know off-hand. He had gotten a few looks as people spotted him, but Harry spread the word that he was a welcomed guest just like everyone else, and if they had a problem with it, they could leave.

When dinner was ready, Molly called out for everyone to take a seat at the table. Draco squeezed in between Hermione and Ginny, with James on her lap. The meal was loud, with conversations, jokes, and laughter coming from all directions. It was a stark contrast to all the meals Draco had when there was company at the manor; everyone had always been so prim and proper, only talking when they were asking for someone to pass the peas. He found he liked the boisterous meal, and enjoyed listening in on many of the conversations going around and was surprised when a few included him without so much as a second thought.

The best part about the meal though, was how he and Hermione held and played with each others hands under the table. Sometimes, she would tickle his palms and he would squeeze her knee or return the favor. They weren't necessarily hiding, but having fun trying to be sneaky about it.

Once dinner was finished, the men announced that a quick game of Quidditch would commence in 10 minutes. Harry invited Draco to be on his team and the only person who seemed to grumble about it was Ron. Susan cheered him up by whispering something into his ear that made his cheeks turn red and a smile form on his face. With a hasty kiss to his girlfriend, Ron grabbed a broom and headed out back where the game was to take place.

"Did you by chance pack my winter coat in that bag?" Hermione asked Draco.

"I did. Are you going to come out and watch me play?"

"Perhaps…" she said with a sly smile.

"How about a kiss for good luck then?" he asked, stepping closer.

Hermione went on her toes and kissed his cheek. Draco huffed playfully before saying, "I guess that will have to do. See you there?"

Hermione nodded as she made her way to the living room where her bag was at. As she was rummaging through it, her hand knocked against something hard. With a confused look, she pulled out the object and gasped. Her wand, the one that was taken from her during her abduction, was in her bag. Panic setting in, Hermione tried to slow her breathing down as she set the wand back in the bag and slowly zipping it back up. Feeling sick to her stomach, she ran to the loo, where she found the door locked. Her knocking turned into banging until the handle finally turned and Susan came out.

"Geeze, Hermione, a little patience wouldn't hurt, you know," she said as she stepped out of the doorway to let Hermione through.

"Sorry, I just… I don't feel so well," she said as she slammed the door in Susan's face. Susan huffed and stalked off.

Hermione heaved into the toilet bowl, emptying the contents of her stomach. When she was finally through, she sat back and leaned against the wall, wondering how this could have happened. The sickening feeling returned, knowing that at least one person at Grimmauld Place, at this very moment, was behind her attack.

* * *

 **A/N: And the plot thickens! Oh boy!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffy! This chapter should more than make up for it ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hermione, are you in there?"

The sound of Draco's voice pulled Hermione out of her stupor. She stood up on shaky legs and walked to the door, unlocking it, before going back to her spot on the floor. Hearing the lock click, Draco turned the knob slowly and found Hermione, her eyes red from crying, and a cold sweat covering her body.

He knelt down in front of her, waiting patiently for her to look at him. When she finally did he asked softly, "What happened? Did you have panic attack? I told Potter this was going to be too much-"

Hermione shook her head, "No.. well, sort of. I just… I found…" She started to hyperventilate and Draco did all he could to get her to slow down her breathing and catch her breath. He held her close and waited until she was breathing normally again.

"Do you want to go home?" he asked into her hair.

She nodded, unable to say anything for fear of breaking down again.

Draco stood up and held out his hands for her to grab and pulled her up. With an arm around her waist, he led her down the steps and towards the living room.

Harry came in, looking around, "There you are," he said, motioning to Draco, "They're killing us out there. You ready to head back-is everything alright?" he asked quickly, noticing Hermione's state.

"We're heading out," Draco said, motioning slightly to Hermione who seemed oblivious, and staring at the bag on the floor.

"Hermione?" asked Harry, walking slowly towards her, "Is everything ok?"

She shook her head, "My… my wand" she rasped out.

"Your wand?" asked Harry confused, looking over to Draco who shrugged. He looked at Hermione again, his brows furrowed, "What about your wand, Hermione?"

Hermione pointed at the bag, "My wand… it was in there."

Draco shook his head, confused, "That's impossible. I packed that bag myself and it only had your clothes."

Hermione looked up at him, "It was there, when… when I went to get my coat."

Harry walked over to the bag and unzipped it, riffling around through the clothes. His eyes widened as he pulled out the 10 3/4th inch vine wood wand. "How… how is this possible?" he asked, looking between Draco and Hermione.

"I think that.. someone… _here_ , put it in there," said Hermione shakily.

Harry's eyes hardened just as Ginny walked in with a sleepy James on her hip.

"Harry? What's wrong? You look pissed," Ginny asked.

"Where did I propose to you?" Harry asked, walking up to her.

"What? Why are you asking-"

"Just answer the question, please," Harry pleaded.

Ginny huffed, "It was after my first game with the Hollyhead Harpies. I won the game by catching the snitch. You proposed, privately, in our tent afterwards," she said.

Harry let out a breath, "Oh thank Merlin." He pulled her and their son close, enveloping them in a hug.

Draco stepped up to Harry, "You're turn, Potter. What did I say to you after I stomped on your face during 6th year on the train?"

"That it was for your father," said Harry.

Draco nodded, "Ok."

"Harry?" Ginny said again, worry laced in her voice.

"Gin, please, go upstairs with James and lock the door," Harry said as he let go of his wife and child.

"Tell me what's going on first," she demanded.

"I'll tell you what's going on," said Draco angrily, "Someone here had Hermione's wand, which was taken from her when she was kidnapped, and put it in her bag."

Ginny's eyes widened, "Someone _here_ was involved with what happened to Hermione?"

Harry nodded, "Yes. We're not sure if that person is imperiused, or using polyjuice potion, or… if it was done on their own accord, but we're going to find out. So, please, go upstairs and wait for me-"

"If you think I'm going to stand by while someone in this place, our _Headquarters_ , did that to Hermione, you've got another thing coming Harry Potter," said Ginny angrily. She shifted James to her other hip, "I'll go put him down and lock the door once I leave, but I'm helping, whether you like it or not."

Hermione started to feel lightheaded and she clung to Draco's arm.

"Are you ok?" he whispered to her.

She shook her head, "No. Can we go, please? I'm sure Harry will let us know if he finds out anything."

Harry nodded, overhearing, "That's fine, but first, Malfoy, what form does Rita Skeeter take when she an animagus?"

"A beetle. But I thought everyone knew that?" asked Draco.

Hermione shook her head, "She isn't registered. I think only a few people know, actually."

Harry nodded, "She's right, which means you check out too, Hermione." Harry let out a sigh, "Alright, go, get out of here. We'll deal with this. I'll send an owl as soon as anything is found out."

Hermione let go of Draco to give Harry a hug, "Please be safe," she whispered to him.

Harry squeezed her back, "We'll figure this out, Hermione, I swear it."

Hermione sniffled once, willing back the tears, as she let go of him. Draco stepped up next to her and linked his fingers with hers, "Ready?" he asked.

Hermione nodded, grabbing the bag of her clothes, but leaving the wand with Harry, and the two of them disapparated back to Draco's flat.

* * *

Hermione sat curled up on the couch, nibbling on her thumb nail, staring off into nothing in particular. Draco sat next to her, a mug of hot cocoa in his hand, "Here," he said, offering her the mug, "I figured you could use this."

"Thanks," Hermione said absently, taking the mug from Draco and wrapping her hands around it to keep them warm.

"How are you?" he asked, placing a hand on her knee, his thumb rubbing slow circles in comfort.

Hermione gave a shrug, "I'm not really sure… I mean, I really can't believe anyone who was there would be the one to do this to me, but… how else do you explain my wand being in that bag?"

"Well, it seemed to me that Potter thinks that whoever they were, was imperioused, or the real culprit was using Polyjuice, so it wasn't _really_ anyone of your friends," Draco surmised.

Hermione nodded, "You're right." She let out a sigh and finally sipped her cocoa. "Mmm, I _did_ need this. Thank you."

He gave her a smile, "You're welcome."

"Would you like some?" she asked, taking another sip before offering the mug of cocoa. "It's really good."

Draco took the mug but placed it on the coffee table. She looked at him with confusion until he pulled her close and kissed her softly. "Mmmm," he said, "You're right, it _is_ good."

Hermione blushed and bit her lip, looking shyly at him. Draco brushed his thumb against her bottom lip, his eyes roaming her face. "You're beautiful," he said softly.

She kissed him then, more forcefully than they ever had and he shifted her so that she was sitting across his lap and held her close. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, assessing her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, trailing a finger down the side of his face.

"Nothing, it's just… I don't want to do anything that you will be uncomfortable with."

She sighed and nuzzled her nose into his neck, "I appreciate the thought," she said as she kissed a pulse point on his neck, "but honestly, right now, I just want to _not_ think and forget everything." She nipped at his collar bone which caused him to hitch a breath. "Can you help me with that, Draco?"

He turned his face to capture her lips with his, nibbling on her bottom lip as an answer. She whimpered slightly at the feeling and repositioned herself so that she was straddling his lap. As they kissed, ranging from soft to urgent and back again, Draco rested his hands on her hips, letting them roam to the middle of her back, pulling her close. Her legs tightened around his hips as he rose them both, peppering kisses all along her lips, cheeks, and neck while heading to the bedroom.

Hermione squealed when Draco dropped her on the bed then giggled nervously when he climbed on top of her, pressing her body into the mattress with his.

"Can't. Breath," she said as he kissed her lips.

He leaned up on his elbows, his arms on either side of her head, "Sorry," he said, giving her a sultry look. He leaned down and kissed her again, letting his tongue lick across her bottom lip. When she granted him entrance, he deepened the kiss further. As their tongues danced, fighting each other for dominance, Draco flipped them over so that she was sitting on top of him, straddling his hips.

He broke the kiss and looked up at her, her lips slightly puffy and her cheeks flushed. His hands were on her hips and his thumbs worked slow circles slightly under her shirt. She surprised him when she reached for the hem of her top and pulled it over her head, revealing a simple, yet lacy, white bra. She flushed and looked at him nervously, waiting for his reaction.

Draco felt speechless. She was even more beautiful in the dim light and her skin seemed to glow faintly. He sat up and kissed her again, slow and lazy. He let his lips and tongue trail down her neck, making his way down her chest, going slow so she could stop him if she needed to. Hermione, however, leaned back on her arms, giving him better access. She closed her eyes as his tongue dipped between her breasts and let out a small moan when his teeth and lips made contact with her nipple under her bra.

An arm sneaked it's way behind her back and found the clasp of her bra. He broke the kiss momentarily, quirking a brow as he tugged slightly on the undergarment. With a soft nod from Hermione, his fingers quickly went to work, undoing the clasp, and letting the material fall free. He couldn't help but stare at the soft, perky, and perfectly size breasts before him. Hermione giggled nervously, "Is… everything alright?"

"Perfect," he said, his grey eyes meeting her brown ones, "Absolutely, fucking, perfect." His lips found hers again as she laid back down, and one hand cupped her breast, fingers pulling and tugging gently on her nipple, making her breath hitch at the sensation.

He removed his lips from hers and replaced them on her other nipple, kissing and nipping one, while teasing and pulling the other, switching back and forth. Hermione wiggled under him at the pleasure, her eyes closed. He smirked into her breast, licking the nipple until it perked up, before doing the same to the other one. With one hand back on her breast, he let his lips trail wet kissed down her stomach, swirling his tongue in her bellybutton. She giggled and put a hand over mouth, "Sorry, that just really tickled."

He looked up and smirked at her before doing it again, as she wiggled under him. He kissed further down even more until he met the tops of her jeans, and her wiggling stilled. He stopped and met her eyes again. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, "Yeah. I just… I'm not sure.."

He crawled back up so they were now face to face, "It's ok." He kissed her lips, "I understand."

His cock, already hard, twitched between them.

"Well, _I_ understand, but he doesn't," he said smirking and making her blush.

"Maybe… maybe I can help?" she suggested, her hands running down the length of his chest, finding the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. He braced his arms on either side of her head again as her hands ran down his chest again, scraping her nails along his skin tenderly, eliciting chills on his skin. Her hands continued to trail down until they reached the hem of his pants. Never losing eye contact, she worked at the button and zipper of his trousers, unzipping it slowly. She helped pull them, and his boxers, off with one fluid motion. She glanced between them and blushed, before wrapping a delicate hand around his hard member. Draco closed his eyes and brought his forehead to hers as she pumped him softly and slowly, her thumb rubbing along the head, spreading the precum around the tip. He moved his hips, helping her pump him faster. She gripped him slightly tighter and Draco groaned as he could feel his orgasmn cusping.

"I'm going to come.." he said breathlessly, his nose against hers.

She tilted her head slightly and kissed him, pressing her tongue against his as her hand pumped even faster and harder. Draco stilled as he spilled over her bare chest and stomach and when he was done, he opened eyes to look at her, a satisfied smile on her face. "Better?" she asked.

He kissed her hard, "You have no idea."

He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his wand, using a quick cleaning spell on the two of them, before tossing it aside and grabbing Hermione, kissing her some more. He couldn't get enough of her lips and tongue. Their kissing went from fast and urgent to slow and lazy while hands roamed each others bodies. Draco kissed down her neck and towards her ear, whispering, "May I please return the favor? I want to taste you." He nipped her earlobe causing her to moan before nodding.

He held her close, cradling her head and kissing her softly before letting her lay flat on the bed, once again working his way down her body. When his lips reached the hem of her jeans again, she wiggled them slightly, giving him permission to continue. With his teeth, he undid the button and pulled down the zipper. She lifted her hips and he helped her work them off, revealing matching lacy, white knickers.

"Oh Salazar," he said under his breath. He took one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder, kissing the inside of her thigh until he was very near the core of her. He stopped, lifting the other leg, and repeating the action. He nuzzled his nose against the lacy cotton, smelling her and taking in her scent.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

Hermione was thankful Draco couldn't see her face, as she feared she was blushing a color close to crimson.

She let out a small gasp as a gentle finger pulled the cotton aside and a hot, wet tongue made contact with her most sensitive part. She closed her eyes at the sensation, his hot breath mixing with the cold air doing all sorts of things to her.

"So wet," he commented, licking, "And delicious."

He dipped his tongue into her folds and she let out a moan.

"Knickers.. off… please," she said through panting lips.

Draco obliged by tearing them away, making her gasp.

"Don't worry, I'll fix them later.." he kissed between her legs again, "Or maybe I won't and I'll keep them as a momento."

She giggled before letting out another soft moan as his tongue began to work it's magic on her once more. He was licking and suckling her nub of pleasure, making her whither in anticipation. When her hips started bucking, he sucked slightly harder, and reached his hand to her breast, pulling and tugging at her free nipple.

With all the different senstations, Hermione let the orgasmn overtake her, rippling through her body. Draco lapped her up as she came, savoring every bit. When she finally went lax, he kissed her folds gently before crawling up her body. He kissed her once more, letting her taste herself, which she found to be extremely erotoic. She nuzzled her nose against his and sighed, "That was… fantastic," she said sleepily.

He laid next to her and pulled her close, letting her bury her face into his chest as her arms wrapped around him.

As Hermione drifted to sleep, Draco couldn't help but feel his heart thudding as he realized he was falling madly, and deeply, in love with her.


	20. Chapter 20

Draco woke to a pecking noise outside his bedroom window. Glancing at the witch next to him, he slipped slowly and quietly of bed, pulling on his discarded boxers before walking over to the window. The owl hooted softly as he held out it's leg, a letter tied to it addressed to him. Draco untied the letter and unrolled it as the owl hooted again before flying away. He frowned as he read it.

"Everything alright?" Hermione asked, a sheet wrapped around her body as she walked towards him.

Draco nodded, "Yeah. It's from Potter. They got done talking to everyone. Everyone is who they are supposed to be with no one having any lost time due to being imperiused."

"That… that just doesn't make sense," Hermione whispered, her face a mixture of confusion and fear.

Draco tugged at the sheet around her, pulling her close, and wrapping his arms around her small frame. He kissed the top of her head, "Why don't we go back to sleep and we'll meet up with Potter tomorrow?"

Hermione nodded, "Alright." She let Draco lead them back to bed, where she unwrapped herself and slipped into the covers, Draco following close behind. He held her close, her back to his chest, as they both tried to fall back asleep. A moment later, he heard her sniffling and turned her so that she was facing him. He wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb and kissed her forehead softly, "It'll be ok," he reassured her.

Hermione closed her eyes as another tear slipped out, "I know. I just.. I want this over with."

He pulled her close, letting her rest her head on top of his chest, "Me too, Hermione, me too."

* * *

In his office, Draco swiveled in his chair slightly, a pen between his thumb and finger, tapping on his desk. Hermione was with Ginny at the Headquarters, which was currently on lockdown. Even though he knew she was safe, he still worried about her, especially since someone who had been involved in her abduction was around them without knowing. He needed to find a way to keep track of her... But how?

"Hey," said Susan, knocking on his open door, "You free?"

Draco glanced up and nodded, "Yeah. I had a few appointments this morning and I have a couple more after lunch, but that's not for another hour." He gestured to the available chair, "Have a seat."

Susan took the offered seat, "So… what was going on with Harry and Ginny last night?"

Draco quirked a brow, "What do you mean?"

"Well, after you and Hermione left, he and Ginny started pulling people aside individually and talking to them. I was wondering what was going on when they pulled _me_ aside, asking me questions that only _I_ would know the answer too and then asking if I had any holes in my memory."

Draco cursed under his breath and mutter, "Fucking Potter is as subtle as a unicorn in heat."

"What?" Susan asked, not quite hearing him.

Draco shook his head, waving a dismissive hand,"Nothing. Go on..."

"Oh.. well, anyways, I just thought it was strange. I mean, why would I have holes in my memory? Granted, I _did_ sort of black out in the bathroom earlier that day… but it was only for like thirty seconds, then Hermione was banging to get in and it snapped me out of it."

"You.. blacked out?" Draco asked, trying not to seem too interested.

"Yeah.. I had a few too many Butterbeers with dinner and my tolerance level is that of a house elf," she said, shaking her head and laughing slightly.

"So… you only blacked out in the bathroom?" Draco asked, clarifying.

"Yes, well, I was sort of dizzy before hand and my vision started to blur, which is why I headed to the bathroom, because I knew it was coming."

Draco nodded, "Ok. Well, as a healer, I'm going to have to suggest you lay off the butterbeer for a while."

Susan rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, I don't plan on having any anytime soon." She stood up from her seat, "I'm heading out to lunch. That little bistro is calling my name," she said excitedly, rubbing her hands together.

"Meeting the boy-toy there?" Draco asked dully.

"Nah. He's been pretty busy at work lately, so I'm just going to go by myself," she said.

"Well, enjoy your lunch," Draco said as she headed out.

He contemplated what Susan told him and briefly wondered if her black out was something more.. But if it only happened in the bathroom, how did she get the wand in Hermione's bag?... Not able to think of a solution, Draco dismissed it from his mind and went back to thinking about how he could keep tabs on Hermione when he wasn't around.

* * *

Draco used his floo from work to head over to the Headquarters when he was done with his appointments. Harry had set wards to allow only himself, Draco, Hermione, and Ginny to enter and exit, and even still, they had to prove who they were.

As Draco stepped out from the fireplace, wiping away the ash from his Healer robes, a wand was pointed a few inches from his face. He looked up slowly, raising his hands in the process, and came to face with Ginny.

"Evening, Gin. Pleasure to see you too," he said with a smirk.

"Password, Malfoy," she said, glaring at him.

Draco sighed, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

Ginny smiled and lowered her wand, "Hello, Draco." She turned her head and called out behind her, "It's him, Hermione."

Hermione, who had James on her hip, walked out of the kitchen and gave Draco a smile, "Hi."

He couldn't help but smile back, "Hi."

Ginny took James from Hermione, who was still looking at Draco. "Come on Jamesy, let's go upstairs and give these two some privacy so they can snog in peace."

"Ewwww!" said James, as Ginny carried him up the stairs.

Draco and Hermione closed the distance between themselves and kissed softly. When they broke apart, Hermione sighed softly and wrapped her arms around him, her cheek resting against his chest, "This is better."

"Miss me that much, huh?" he asked teasingly, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Hermione chuckled, "It's more of I feel safest when you're around."

He kissed the top of his head, "You ready to head back to my place?"

"Actually," she said, shifting her head so that her chin rested on his chest as she looked up at him, "Ginny made dinner for all of us, which should be ready in a half hour… if you wanted to stay, that is?" she asked.

Draco nodded, "I'd love too." He bent down and kissed her quickly before grabbing her hand and lead them towards the couch.

"I have something for you," he said, pulling out a small box from his pocket.

Hermione eyed the box wearily, "What is it?"

"Let's just call it an early Christmas gift," he said, a smile playing over his face.

"I still can't believe Christmas is next week," she said as she lifted the top of the box and peered inside. She gasped softly as she reached in and pulled out a silver-chained necklace, a single tear-drop shaped sapphire dangling from it.

"It's beautiful," she said, "A sapphire?"

Draco nodded, taking the necklace from her and helping her clasp it behind her neck, "It's your birthstone, right?"  
Hermione nodded, glancing down at the stone laying on her chest. She looked at Draco and gave him a kiss, "Thank you, I love it."

He smiled and kissed her back just as James came running down the stairs and jumping onto the couch, demanding they color with him while Ginny finished cooking.

* * *

Harry walked into the kitchen to the site of his son in Draco Malfoy's lap, coloring happily and chattering away. His wife was plating food while Hermione gathered cutlery and napkins.

Harry was still standing there, just watching the scene when Draco said, "Password, Potter."

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon," said Harry, walking further into the kitchen.

"Daddy!" said James, hopping off of Draco's lap and running to Harry, who caught him mid-jump and tossed him in the air, making the toddler laugh with glee.

"Harry Potter, you're going to hit his head on the ceiling if you keep doing that," said Ginny, levitating plates to the table.

Harry chuckled, "Don't worry Gin, he still has three more feet before his head meets the ceiling."

He set his son down in his booster seat and walked over to his wife, giving her a kiss. "Dinner smells amazing."

"Thanks, it's shepherd's pie. Let's hope this little guy lets me enjoy it," she said, rubbing a hand to her stomach.

"Little guy?" asked Hermione, "Did you find out the gender already?"

Ginny shook her head, "No, but I just have a feeling it's another boy."

"Yup, little Albus Lupin," said Harry.

"I told you," Ginny said as she took a seat at the table, "I think it would mean more if we used Albus _Severus_."

Draco nearly choked on his pumpkin juice, "I'm sorry, but did you just suggest _Snape_ as your child's middle name?"

Ginny nodded, "I did." She gave him a stony look, "You have a problem with that?"

Draco raised his hands in defeat, "Nope. Not arguing with the pregnant lady."

Ginny smiled sweetly at him, "That's what I thought."

Hermione chuckled as she ate her meal, loving the fact that Draco was sitting at the dinner table with two of her best friends, and everyone was getting along.

"Oh, by the way Potter, way to be subtle about questioning everyone last night. Susan came into my office, asking what was it was all about."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Ask them outright if they were involved in Hermione's kidnapping? Which most don't even know happened, by the way. Only the Weasley family knew; everyone else thinks she was in Australia, as planned."

"Which reminds me…" said Hermione, "I really do need to go back there and see my parents. I'm pretty sure I've almost made a breakthrough on their memories."

Draco frowned, "What's wrong with their memories?"

Hermione sighed sadly, "During the war, I wanted my parents to be safe... So, I placed a strong memory charm on them and gave them the idea to move to Australia." She paused, pushing food around her place with her fork, "Once the war ended, I went back to give them their memories back, but it didn't take. I've been going back every six months to a year to work on them, in hopes that one day, they'll remember me again..." She trailed off, looking down at her dinner place.

Draco placed a comforting hand on her leg and leaned over, kissing her cheek, "You'll figure it out, I know it. Smartest witch of our generation, you know."

Hermione smiled softly at that, "Thanks, Draco."

He went back to his dinner, putting food on his fork and lifting it partway to his mouth before saying, "If you want, next time you go, I can go with you. Maybe I can be of assistance?" He ate the food on his fork, then glanced at her.

Her eyes widened at his words, "Really?" she asked.

Draco nodded, "Just let me know when so I can put in for time off."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him hard and peppering his cheek with kisses, "Thank you, thank you."

"Ew, some of us are eating here," said Harry, giving them a disgusted look.

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him, "Shut up, Harry." She turned Draco's face and gave his lips a loud, smacking kiss before going back to eating her dinner, a smile playing on her face the rest of the night.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally, a nice, tame (albeit short) chapter for you all! But don't get used to it...*insert evil cackle here***  
 **Anyways, hope everyone is have a nice weekend!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hope everyone had a good weekend! My family and went to a park on Saturday that was filled with poke-stops so we played PokemonGo for a few hours with the kids. Lots of fun!**  
 **Here's a new chapter for you all to hopefully help brighten up those Monday's blue's.**

* * *

"Come on, Ginny? Please?" Hermione pleaded. She was sitting on the edge of the bed that was in the room Ginny and Harry were currently using at the Headquarters. Ginny was folding laundry as she looked up to her friend and sighed, "I really don't know, 'Mione… Harry and Draco made it very clear that we not leave-"

"But it's Christmas next week and I haven't had a chance to go shopping once!" said Hermione exasperatedly. She played with the necklace around her neck and sighed, "I just need to get a few gifts, that's all. And if we go together, we'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

Ginny bit her lip, contemplating. "Well.. I _guess_ I could always drop James off at my parents and you and I can slip out for a few hours."

Hermione squealed with delight as she jumped to a standing position and gave her friend a tight hug. "I love you, Ginny, did you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let me just finish up these clothes and we'll head out. Can you go and get James ready for me?"

Hermione nodded, walking out the door and calling out, "Jaaaames! Wanna go to see your Nana and Papa?"

Ginny giggled as her son enthusiastically shouted "Yes! Cookies!" knowing that he'll be too filled up on the treats to eat dinner tonight.

* * *

Hermione and Ginny exited the the toy store, their arms laden with bags from their recent purchases.

"I swear, James is gets more and more spoiled each year," Ginny said, shifting the bags in her hand.

"Well, I _am_ his godmother, it's my right to spoil him," Hermione said knowingly. "Why don't you use your wand and shrink these so they're easier to carry around? Then we can go into Flourish and Blotts."

"You know," Ginny said as she placed her bags on the ground and rummaged through her purse for her wand, "Harry said your wand was perfectly safe to use. I don't know why you left it back at headquarters."

"I know, I know. I guess I'm just being overly cautious," Hermione said as she placed her now shrunken wears into her coat pocket.

As the two of them set their sights on the bookstore, they passed the Apothecary store. "Oh, I need to go into here." Ginny said, "Mind if we make a slight detour?"

Hermione shrugged, "Sure."

The girls walked in and the bell chimed. Theo poked his up from behind some shelves, "Ah, good afternoon Mrs. Potter, Miss Granger," he said with a smile, walking up to them. "Anything I can get you ladies today?"

As Ginny pulled out a list of ingredients she needed, Hermione roamed the shop. As she passed the stairs that led up the living quarters, she heard footsteps thudding lightly, whispered conversation and a thud, followed by a slew of cursing. Raising a brow, she glanced at Theo, pointing up the stairs, "Um. I think someone is up there?"

Theo nodded, "Yeah. One of my buddies is helping me brew some potions. It's pretty crowded up there so he probably banged his knee into something… again," he said chuckling. He walked over to the stairs and called up, "You still alive up there?"

An irritated voice called down, "Yeah, I'm ok. But bloody hell, you really need to clean up around here. I can barely walk a few feet before running into something."

Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Goyle appeared, "I think you have a hoarding problem," he said, glaring at Theo and rubbing his knee. He finally noticed the two women in the store, looking at him peculiar.

"Oh, um… Hi," he said awkwardly. "Sorry to interrupt..."

He turned to go back up the stairs when Theo laughed, "It's fine, Greg. How's the potion coming along?"

"Fine, I guess. I appreciate you letting me make it here," he said.

Theo waved a dismissive hand, "It's no problem. Plus, you're helping as well since you're making it in bulk for me to stock up with. The Morning Sickness Potion is really popular."

"Morning sickness potion?" asked Ginny, "You have some?"

Theo nodded, "Yes. Well, we will later today once it's done brewing. Probably a couple hours. I'll set one aside for you," he said, giving her a wink.

Ginny smiled gratefully at him, "Thanks, I appreciate it. Mine's been pretty mild so far, but if this pregnancy is anything like my first, I'll get hit with it in a few weeks."

Hermione started feeling uncomfortable and antsy, whispering to Ginny, "Are you almost done? I'm feeling a little… claustrophobic in here," she said lamely.

Ginny nodded, "I just need to pay for these and we can head out."

"Ok, I'm going to step outside and get some fresh air," Hermione said on her way to the door.

Once outside, Hermione took a few deep breaths, calming her nerves. She leaned against the stone wall, her eyes closed, until she heard the bell chime and Ginny walked out. "Ok, ready," she said cheerily. She noted how pale Hermione seemed, "Are you ok?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes. I just.. Well, I guess I'm just not comfortable in such tight spaces with too many people."

"Oh.. ok. Well, let's head to Flourish and Blotts, hm? It's not nearly as small and since it's during the week, it shouldn't be crowded either."

Grateful, Hermione nodded, hoping that going to one of her favorite stores will cheer her up.

* * *

"I'm starving," said Ginny, as they left the third shop, "Can we _please_ stop for something to eat?"

"Let's try that new sandwich shoppe, the one by Honeydukes?" Hermione suggested.

"Perfect," said Ginny as they walked towards their destination. The new shop featured many different types of sandwiches and it only took Ginny five minutes to pick one out. Sandwiches in hand, they found a table and sat down, nearly groaning with pleasure as both of their feet were tired from walking all afternoon.

"This was a good idea," said Ginny as she bit into her turkey and cranberry sandwich.

Hermione nodded, biting into her B.L.T., "These are delicious."

"Hey, look, it's Nott and Goyle. And some woman.. I think.. I think it's Bulstrode?" Ginny said, surprised.

Hermione turned in her seat to see who Ginny was talking about, "Hm, I guess it is. She looks good; different from back in Hogwarts."

Millicent glanced up at them and gave them a curious look. Hermione smiled briefly before turning back in her seat and continued to eat her lunch.

The Slytherin trio finished before the girls and as they passed by their table, Theo addressed Ginny and told her that the potion was ready and she could stop by when she was done with lunch.

Thanking him, Ginny finished her sandwich and began working on her crisps.

"Do you just want me to meet you at Honeydukes while I go get that potion? So you don't get claustrophobic again?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, please. There were a few things I need to get there anyways. Draco has quite the sweet tooth so I was thinking of filling up his stocking with lots of treats."

Ginny smiled at her friend, "You really like him, don't you?"

Hermione nodded, "I never thought I'd see the day where I would be falling for Draco Malfoy, but.. Here we are."

Ginny put a hand to her heart, "You're in love with him?"

Hermione shrugged slightly, blushing, "Maybe? I don't know... I'm pretty darn close to it, if I'm not."

"Have you and him… you know…?" she wiggled her eyebrows at her friend, causing Hermione to let out an embarrassed giggle.

"We've... Well, we've done _some_ stuff, but.. I'm still not comfortable doing, uh, certain things quite yet," she said, looking away and biting her lip.

"Hey," said Ginny, placing her hand on top of her friends, gaining her attention, "Considering what you went through, I'm surprised that even 'some' stuff happened. But you take all the time you need. If Draco really cares for you, he'll wait."

Hermione nodded, "He's actually been very cautious about anything we do, making sure I'm comfortable and asking permission and stuff."

"Well, he just earned another slice of cake for dessert tonight," said Ginny, making Hermione smile.

The two friends finished their meals and made their way out of the shoppe.

"I'll meet you here in about ten minutes, ok?" said Ginny, motioning to Honeydukes.

Hermione nodded, "Sounds good."

As Hermione entered Honeydukes, her senses were overcome with the amount of sugar in the air. Grabbing a small basket, she made her way down the aisles, grabbing treats she knew Draco would like. The candy store was empty, save for Hermione and the young woman behind the counter. The bell chimed and she heard the girl gasp. Hermione looked to see who was at the door and was surprised to see Harry and Ron. She glanced back at the girl behind the counter, fixing her hair absently, trying not to make eye contact with the two gentlemen. Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed to herself. She thought it was silly how girls still love to try and impress Harry and Ron, even though they're both already taken.

Hermione walked over to her two friends and smiled, "Hey you two. What are you doing here?"

Harry shrugged, "Just felt like getting some sweets for the office."

"Yeah," said Ron, nodding.

"I'm getting some Christmas treats for Draco," Hermione said, turning her back to them and walking down another aisle. They followed close by, not saying much and hairs on Hermione's neck began to rise.

She turned slowly, eyeing them. "Harry… what's the password?"

Harry looked dumbfounded, "Password?"

Fear shot though Hermione like cold water being poured on her. She forced a smile, and laughed, a bit too loudly, and said, "Just kidding."

Harry and Ron chuckled as Hermione turned back around, making her way quickly to the front. Hermione's hand shook as she placed the items on the counter. She needed to get out of there without raising too much suspicion.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" asked the girl, glancing between Hermione and looking shyly at Harry and Ron, who were still standing behind her.

"Um, yes, thanks. How much do I owe?" Hermione said, getting her money bag out of her purse. The girl rambled off an amount and Hermione placed a handful of coins on the counter, before grabbing the bag of candy quickly. "Keep the change," Hermione said, turning around, nearly running into the men behind her.

"Well, I'm done in here.. I'll… see you both later? At… at Harry's, right?"

Both nodded. "We'll walk you out," said Harry, taking a hold of her arm.

Ron moved to her other side, grabbing her other arm. "Yeah, don't want to leave you by yourself for fear of you getting kidnapped again and all."

Hermione whimpered as they nearly dragged out the door. Once outside, Hermione jabbed her elbow into Harry and stomped her foot onto Ron's, both letting her go in surprise. She dropped her bag and ran quickly, only to be hit with a silent _stupify_ , causing her fall and hit her head on the concrete. Her vision blurring, she saw the two men tower over her, scowling. "Come on, mudblood," the Ron look-alike said, "Time for some more fun."

Hermione shook her head, making her even dizzier, "No...please...no"

The Harry look-alike picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. The two men looked around to make sure no one had seen them, then disaparated with a _pop_ just as an irritated Ginny came walking around the corner, missing them by mere seconds.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't kill me for the cliffy!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Just a few quick notes before you read this next chapter:**  
 **1 - I made a mistake and said that Honeydukes was in Diagon Alley.. my bad! Let's just say for this story, Honeydukes opened a second location, ok? lol**  
 **2 - Some of you seemed rather upset about how Hermione is acting, I'm sorry about that. I'm not JK Rowling so these characters are probably a little OOC. I know Hermione is usually brave and strong-willed, but with everything that she went though, she's still scared, which is why she tried to leave the candy shop instead of staying there or having the other girl help her out. Also, in order for me to move this story along, things need to happen, even stupid mistakes that the characters do ;) I still hope you're all enjoying the story! I am working on the last few chapters and hopefully the story will be completed by the end of the week.**

 **And now, on to Chapter 22!**

* * *

"Alright, Isobel, can you open wide for me?" Draco asked the toddler.

"No!" said the little raven haired girl, covering her mouth with both of her hands. He glanced at the child's mother who gave him a slight shrug, "She doesn't like Healers much."

Draco sighed and looked at the little girl again, "If you open your mouth really, really big, I have a pink lolli with your name on it," he said, flashing her a kind smile.

Isobel slowly lowered her hands and looked at her mother, who gave her a nod. She looked back at the healer and said, "Ok.. but no poke!"

"I promise I won't poke, I'm just looking," said Draco.

The little girl opened her mouth and Draco glanced in, confirming the mother's worries.

"Well, Pans," Draco said as he pulled out the promised lolli and handed it to the little girl, "You were right. She has an infection in her throat. It's called strep; usually a muggle illness, but Wizard are known to get it too."

"How would she have gotten it?" Pansy asked, running a soothing hand over her daughter's hair.

"Well, it's highly contagious, so essentially anywhere," Draco said.

Pansy sighed, "So how do we cure it?"

"I can prescribe pain medicine and an antibiotic and it should clear up in a day or so," said Draco, writing down the info on a pad of paper, tearing it off, and handing it to Pansy.

"That's all?" asked Pansy. "Nothing instantaneous?"

"The pain potion will help a lot, just be careful that she doesn't spread it to anyone else; she needs to wash her hands often and no sharing of food or drinks until the white spots in the back go away."

"OK, but-"

There was a knock on the door and Healer Brown entered the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, "But, Healer Malfoy, there's someone here to see you... It's important."

"Can it wait a few minutes? I'm just about done-"

"It's Harry Potter. He said it's urgent," said Healer Brown. "I can take over from here. He's waiting for you in your office. Go."

"Yes ma'am," he turned to Pansy, "Sorry. Owl me before you go and we'll get together before you go back to Spain, ok?"

Pansy nodded as Draco walked quickly out of the room, his mind going through all the scenarios in which Potter would come to his work and declare an urgent situation. His stomach dropped as he immediately thought of Hermione.

Practically running into his office, he opened the door to see Harry, leaning against his desk and jumping at the quickness of his entry.

"What happened?-"

"Hermione's been taken-,"

They had both talked at the same time. Draco cursed, loudly. "How? Where? When?" he demanded.  
"Ginny and Hermione went to Diagon Alley to go Christmas shopping-"

"Even after we _told_ those daft women to stay put!-"

"-And nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, at least to Ginny. They separated for less then ten minutes and when Gin went to meet Hermione at Honeydukes, she wasn't there."

"Are you're _sure_ she's been taken and she didn't just wander off and go into another store?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded, "Ginny went into Honeydukes and talked to the clerk. Said something about how all three of the Golden Trio were in there just moments before-"

"Shit," said Draco, running a hand through his hair.

"Ginny knew something was wrong right away and came to my office to tell me. My aurors are going to Honeydukes now to extract the clerks memories to see if they can find anything," said Harry.

"So what do we do now?" asked Draco angrily, "Just sit and wait?"

"Well, unless you know of a way to track Hermione, then-"

"I do!" said Draco suddenly.

"What?"

"I gave Hermione a necklace a few days ago… I charmed it with a tracking spell."

"Malfoy, you're a genius! If we get to those bastards before they do anything to Hermione, I may just start referring to you has a friend," said Harry.

"No need to get all sentimental on me now, Potter, we have a witch to find," Draco said, opening the door to leave.

The two of them walked down the corridor where Draco told Healer Brown that he was going to be out the rest of the day on an emergency. She nodded and before she could say anything, Harry grabbed Draco's arm and apparated them to his office.

They appeared with a _pop_ and the aurors in the office looked at them, wondering what was going on.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Harry shouted to get everyone's attention, "Hermione Granger has been kidnapped. Malfoy here as a way to find out where she is-"

"And how you so sure Malfoy wasn't involved in any way?" Ron said, glaring at the blonde wizard.

" _Fuck you_ , Weasley," said Draco, walking up to him, his face contorted with anger. "The fact that you _still_ question my integrity now… it's pathetic! I love her, alright! I fucking love her! So why would I want to hurt her and kidnap her, huh?"

"You…. you love her?" Ron asked blankly.

"Yes you daft twit. Now, if you'll stop _blaming_ me for everything and start _listening_ , I have way to find out where she is. Potter, I need a piece of paper."

Harry went to the closest desk and handed Draco a sheet of paper. Draco waved his wand over the parchment, muttering " _Invenimus hunc hominem, Hermione Granger_ ".

The blank page started to form a map. As it reached the edge of the paper, a pulsating, glowing spot marked where Hermione was.

"Shit.." said Draco.

"...Is that what I think it is?" Harry started.

"Yes, Potter…" said Draco gravely, "That's Malfoy Manor."

* * *

Hermione groaned as she started to wake. She tried to move her hand to rub her throbbing head, but was met with resistance. Her eyes shot open and she found herself chained to the wall of a cold and dark cellar.

"No.." she muttered to herself, her teeth chattering from the cold. "No… not again."

* * *

"Not part of this? Really? Then why the _hell_ is she at _your_ house, Malfoy?" Ron asked, his face the color of a tomato.

"Weasley..." Draco said, closing his eyes and trying to keep himself calm, "I haven't stepped foot in that place in at least 5 years. I took what I needed and never looked back. Hell, I didn't even ward it up when I left because I didn't care if it got looted or destroyed. Besides, how daft do you have to be to think that if I _was_ involved, that I would show you where she was at?"

"Who says that that map is right? It could just be leading us in the wrong direction!" Ron argued, "It could-"

"Ron, lay off Draco, ok?" Harry said sternly, "He's helping. If you can't get that through your skull, then you can just leave."

Ron crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Harry, but didn't say anything else.

"Good. Now, we need to set up teams. Draco, can you tell us of any secret passages to get into the manor? I'd like to have the element of surprise, if possible."

"There a few…. here and here and here," said Draco, pointing to three spots on the map, "No one really knew about them except for my family. However, even though I took down the wards, that doesn't mean whoever is there didn't set some up. I think it might be better if I just go-"

"No, absolutely not," Harry said, shaking his head, cutting off the blonde.

Draco glared at him, "You said yourself you wanted the element of surprise. I highly doubt a group of aurors will go un-noticed."

"For all we know, no one else is here and they left Hermione alone-"

"Do you _really_ believe that, Potter?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry sighed, "No…" He ran a hand through his hair, "So what do you suggest? _Besides_ going by yourself," he said, before Draco could suggest it.

"I don't know, but I do know that I the longer we stay here, trying to plan out something, the longer Hermione has to be there, having Merlin-knows-what happening to her."

Harry paced the room, a finger to his chin while he thought, "Well, I could always use my dad's old cloak..."

* * *

Hermione shook her arms and twisted her wrists, trying to get herself free. She needed to get out of there before whoever took her came back.

Her head shot up when she heard a door open and close with a loud thud, followed by footsteps. Hermione hitched a breath and waited, praying to whatever deity was listening that she wouldn't be tortured again.

* * *

"A _cloak_? That's your answer? An old, dusty, cloak? How in the _hell_ is that going to help us?" Draco demanded, getting impatient.

"Not just any cloak," said Harry, a grin on his face. "My invisibility cloak."

"Oh... _that_ cloak. Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Draco asked, irritated.

Harry rolled his eyes and walked over to his desk, pulling out a thin, shimmery material from a locked drawer. "I don't use it much, but when I have to, it comes in handy."

"Alright, so what's the plan then?" Ron asked. "Only one adult can fit under there now. Are we just sending one person in under the cloak, looking for Hermione?"

"We'll set up teams on the outskirts of the manor near the secret entrances, just outside the wards. Draco will go in and if anyone is there, he can say he was just checking in on the place. I'll follow, under the cloak. We'll send a patronus when we need assistance."

Everyone nodded. "Alright team, let's go. Draco, follow me."

Draco followed Harry to a large cabinet at the back of the large office. Harry opened it and revealed shelves packed with vials.

"What's all this?"

"Potions," said Harry, grabbing a few vials of clear liquid and pocketing them.

"No shit, Potter, but what kind?" Draco asked, picking one up and inspecting it.

"Some are for healing, which we'll take just incase, but the one I really want is the veritasium."

Draco nodded, taking vials that Harry handed him and pocketing them himself.

"Ready?" asked Harry.

Draco's face hardened, "Ready."

* * *

"Who are you?" Hermione asked.

"What, don't you recognize us?" said the redhead with a mock-hurt expression.

"It's us, your best friends," said the man with messy black hair.

"No," said Hermione sternly, shaking her head, "You are _not_ Harry and Ron. They would never do this to me."

"Are you so sure about that?" asked the Harry lookalike.

"Stop it! Stop being such a coward and show your true self!" Hermione screamed.

"But this is so fun!" said the Ron lookalike. He twirled his wand in his hand, "What should we do first, _Harry_?"

"Hmm. Maybe a little pain before pleasure? What do you think, _Ron_?"

The redheaded imposter nodded, pointing his wand to Hermione, " _Crucio!_ "

Hermione screamed in pain, pulling her wrists even more trying to get free from the shackles that bound her to the wall.

* * *

The team of aurors apparated just outside the perimeter of Malfoy Manor, hidden by thick trees. Harry gathered them in a circle, giving them their positions.

"Alright. Rogers, Murphy; you will watch the south side. Ellis, Sutton; you take the east. Thomas, Weasley; you have the west. The rest of you, keep an eye at the front gates incase someone else shows up. Keep your ears open and your eyes sharp. We'll send either flares up or a patronus if we need assistance." Harry waited until his teams went into their positions. He turned to Draco, tossing the cloak over his shoulders so only his head was visible, "Alright, Malfoy, lead the way."

"That's really creepy, you know that?" Draco said, gesturing to what looks like a head floating in mid-air.

Harry rolled his eyes and covered his head, "Better?"

"Eh, I suppose, but there's really nothing you can do, being who you are-ow!" Draco said, rubbing the back of his head. "Take a joke, Potter."

"Just lead the way," Harry said.

Draco walked out of the trees and walked purposefully up to the opened gates. Never losing his stride, he continued past the dried up, crumbling fountains, and up the cracking steps to the large, front doors.

"So far so good," he mumbled under his breath, hoping Harry was close by to hear him.

He went to push open the doors, but found them lock. "What the hell, why are these locked?" Draco asked out loud, playing the part. Using his wand, he unlocked the door with a simple _alohomora_ , and went inside, hoping he wasn't too late.

* * *

The pain stopped and Hermione felt limp as she tried to catch her breath. Her body ached and her wrists were on fire. One glance at them and saw they were red and raw from trying to get free. She looked back up at the two imposters, "Why are you doing this? Why me?"

"Because we felt you need reminding.."

"That even though you're pals with the likes of the Potter and Weasley.."

"And are considered one of the most smartest witches of our age.."

"You're really nothing more than a filthy…"

"Stinking…"

" _Mudblood_."

She knew it was coming, and even though she tried to mentally prepare, the crucio curse ripped through her once more, her screams bouncing off the walls around her."

* * *

Draco wrinkled his nose at all the dirt and dust that layered every surface of his childhood home. He turned to make his way up the stairs to the bedrooms when he heard a faint scream.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered. He held his breath and listened, hearing the scream once more.

"The cellar…" he said, running towards the kitchens; Harry in his cloak following right behind.

* * *

When the pain ebbed, Hermione's head lulled to the side. She felt faint and wished for sleep. Her throat was dry and hoarse from screaming. She mustered the last amount of energy she had and said raspy whisper, "You won't….get away… with… this."

"Oh yeah? And who's going to stop us?" said the raven haired man as he walked up to Hermione, an inch from her face as he snarled at her. "You?"

"No." She lifted her head and her eyes flicked behind him and back quickly, a slow smile forming on her face, "But he will."

" _Stupify_!"

" _Petrificus_ _Totalus_!"

The spells flew through the air, hitting their targets. The man in front of Hermione stood frozen like a statue before toppling over. The other was thrown from his feet, hitting the nearby wall, groaning.

"Bind them, Potter," said Draco, his eyes fixed on Hermione, who's head was dangling and lolling from side to side as she tried not to pass out.

Taking off his cloak and stuffing into his robes, Harry nodded as Draco ran to Hermione, using his wand to unlock the chains. When her wrists were free, he caught her as she fell forward, dropping to his knees and holding her close.

Hermione looked up and gave him a sleepy grin, "You came."

"Of course I came, you daft woman," he kissed her forehead, as she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shirt. "Shhh.. it's alright. You're safe now." He lifted her face to his and and kissed her lips softly. "I love you."

She gave him a watery smile, "I love you, too."

"Draco," said Harry from the other side of the room, standing over the two other men, "It looks like the polyjuice potion is starting to wear off."

"One second," he called to Harry. He stood up, pulling Hermione with him. She leaned against him as they made their way towards Harry. Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's and gave it a squeeze. He looked to her and kissed her forehead, "You ok?"

"I've been better. Thank you for rescuing me."

"You can thank Draco, he's the one who had a way to find you."

"How..-" she began to ask, but was interrupted as the two men on the floor were groaning.

The three stood and waited, watching as culprits transformed into their true selves and finally seeing who they really are.

* * *

 **A/N: So, another cliffy, but not at bad as the last one, right? I'm not as good about leaving subtle clues like the queen herself, JK Rowling, so I'm pretty sure you guys know who these two really are.. any guesses?**


	23. Chapter 23

"Nott?... Goyle?" Draco said in disbelief, "It was _you_?"

The two men groaned as their bodies finished shifting back to themselves. Panting slightly, Nott looked up, his eyes glazed over as he glared at Draco. "Malfoy," he growled, "Should have known a traitor like you would be mixed up with these muggle loving-" he stopped and doubled over in pain. Looking up again, his eyes seemed wide and afraid. "Help..." he rasped out before doubling over again, a snarl back on his face.

"He's being imperiused..." Hermione whispered. She glanced at Goyle, who was still frozen on the floor, "He probably is too.."

"Draco, there's some pink vials in your pocket. We need to-" began Harry.

Draco thrust one at Harry, "Here," he said, unstoppering the other. The two men poured the potion down Goyle and Nott's throats.

"What is this stuff?" asked Draco, sniffing the contents.

"A potion that has been in the works within the ministry the past few years; It frees those who are being imperiused within minutes."

"That's… that's genius," said Draco.

Harry pulled out his wand again and said, "Expecto Patronum!" The shimmering stag flew from his wand and pranced around the room before stopping in front of Harry. "Go out and find the rest of the auror team. Deliver this message: We've got the suspects and we'll be taking them to the Ministry for questioning. Meet us there."

With a nod, the stag flew from the room and through the wall.

"Alright you two, up you go," said Harry, unfreezing Goyle.

"What-what's going on?" asked Goyle, "Where are we?"

"Is this… a cellar?" asked Theo, looking around, thoroughly confused.

Harry nodded, "We'll explain everything back at the ministry. We're also going to need to ask you a few questions." Harry gripped each man's arm, then looked at Draco, giving him a nod. After a nod back, Harry disapparated with with a pop.

"Come on, let's take you to St. Mungo's to get you checked out," said Draco, reaching for her hand.

Hermione pulled her hand away from him, "I'm fine. I want to go to the Ministry."

"Hermione," said Draco tiredly, "You need to rest."

"No, I need to see this through. I want to know who's really behind it all. You can check me over at the Ministry, because that's where I'm going. You can either go with me, or I'll meet you back at your place later on."

"Stupid Stubborn Gryffindor," Draco mumbled. He twined his fingers with hers and sighed, "Ministry it is."

She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before they disapparated to the Ministry.

* * *

With Goyle and Nott in an interrogation room, Harry sat in front of them, his hands folded together, looking at the two men.

"Do you two know why you're here?" Harry asked.

Goyle shook his head, "The last thing I remember is walking into Theo's shop then waking up in that cellar."

Theo nodded, "Same."

"Was anyone else with you at the shop?" asked Harry.

Goyle gasped, "Milli! She was with us. Was she imperiused too? Is she here?" He tried to stand up but the bounds on the chair wouldn't let him.

"Calm down Goyle," said Harry "She isn't here and she wasn't with you at the Manor."

"Can you have someone check in on her? Please?"Goyle asked pleadingly. "Her name is Millicent Goyle, but her maiden name is Bulstrode. We live at my old family home. She's pregnant..." Harry looked to his left where there was a two way mirror. He gave a nod and knew that whoever was on the other side would find her. "Someone will go and see if she is there and make sure she is safe."

"Thanks, Potter," said Goyle, sitting back in his chair, looking slightly relieved.

"So... what did we do?" Nott asked hesitantly. "And… are we going to Azkaban."

"Well, if your story pans out and you really were imperioused.. no. You won't be going to Azkaban."

Theo let out a soft sigh of relief as Harry continued, "As for what you did… you kidnapped Hermione Granger, twice. The first time you held her captive for about two weeks. You tortured her, beat her...raped her." Both Goyle and Nott's eyes widened to the size of saucers; Harry continued, "This time, it seemed you tortured her with the Cruciatus curse but we were able to stop you before anything else happened. Both times you used Polyjuice potion to impersonate myself and Ron Weasley so that she wouldn't be able to identify you."

Goyle paled, "I think I'm going to vomit.."

Harry conjured up a waste basket and placed it on Goyle's lap just as he was about to lose his contents. Harry wrinkled his nose at the sounds and smell and turned his attention to Nott, who seemed to be staring off, a glazed look over his face. "Nott?" he asked.

Nott looked up, his eyes filled with tears, "Why… why would anyone do this?"

Harry gave him a hard look, "That's what we're going to try and find out. We understand that you're just as much as the victim here.. We'll have counselling readily available for both of you, if you decide to you need it."

Nott nodded and looked down, "Thanks, Potter."

When Goyle was done, Harry banished the bin as Goyle began to sob into his hands, "What's Milli going to think? How.. how I can tell her what I did? She'll never forgive me… she'll take the baby and leave."

"Goyle, didn't you hear me? You didn't do anything consciously. You were imperiused. She cannot blame you-"

"What, like how you're lot automatically blamed everyone who was on Vold-Voldemort's side?" he bit out.

"Time's have changed," said Harry simply.

Goyle looked at him dumbfounded for a second, before nodding.

There was knock on the interrogation door and Harry stepped out. "Yes?" he asked Murphy.

Murphy looked at him gravely, "We went to the Goyle home. No sign of his wife and the place was torn apart. She was either kidnapped or…"

"Or what?" asked Harry.

"Or she fled," he said simply.

Harry scrunched is brow in thought, "Are you saying you think Millicent Bulstrode is behind all of this?"

"Well, considering your wife said she saw the three of them leave the restaurant at the same time but only _two_ of them became imperiused.. She could have cast it, sent them to work, and ran, knowing they'd probably get caught."

"Or she could have left to go back to work and then they got imperiused," suggested Harry.

Murphy shook his head, "Sir, Goyle said she was with them when it happened."

"Shit," said Harry, running a hand through his hair. "Do we know where she could have gone?"

"I have men out looking for her now," said Murphy.

"Ok, Thanks. Keep me informed," he said. As Murphy turned to leave, he called out to him again, "Hey, Murph, send Malfoy this way. Maybe he if talks to his friends they might remember something."

Murphy nodded as he walked down the hall. A few short minutes later, Draco strolled up to Harry, who was leaning against the wall.

"What's up, Potter?" Draco asked, mirroring his stance, crossing his arms at his chest.

Harry told him Murphy's, and now his, suspicions. Draco frowned in thought, "Are you sure?"

Harry shook his head, "No, but for now, it's our only lead."

"So... what, you want me to go in there and tell my childhood friend that we think it's his pregnant wife who is behind all of this?" Draco asked crossly.

"Actually, no. Don't mention that we think she's behind it. If he asks, say that we're looking for her. Just.. talk to them. They might open up more about things they remember if it's you in there and not me."

Draco sighed, "Alright, fine." He reached for the doorknob when Harry said, "Hey, Draco? Thanks.. For everything you've been doing."

He turned to look at the man beside him and quirked a brow before nodding, "No problem, Harry."

* * *

Draco talked with his two friends for over an hour before he Harry joined them, four food trays levitating next to him. He set them down on the table and conjured up a chair next to Draco's, sitting down. "I figured you all were getting hungry," said Harry.

"Thanks, Potter," said Draco.

"Have you found my wife yet?" Goyle nearly demanded.

Harry shook his head, "No, not yet. We checked her work and she didn't return after lunch and we also searched your place and she wasn't there. My team checked around Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, even Knockturn Alley-"

"She wouldn't go there!" said Goyle defensively.

"We're just covering our bases," said Harry calmly. "But.. I was talking a few people and we were wondering.. Would you two be willing to undergo Legilimens?"

Both men shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "Sorry," said Nott, "but I'm not comfortable with some Ministry Official going through my mind.."

"Yeah, me too," said Goyle.

"What if I did it?" offered Draco.

Harry snapped his finger, pointing at Draco, "Yes," he looked back at Goyle and Nott, "You'll trust Malfoy to do it right? He'll be looking for clues from the past two months."

"Er, sure, I guess.. " Knott.

Goyle nodded, "Yeah, sure, that's fine. Can we do it now? I'd just like to get this over with."

Draco glanced at Harry, who gave him a nod. Draco pulled out his wand and muttered, " _Legilimens_."

Both Draco and Goyle closed their eyes as the blonde went through his friends memories. Nott and Harry watched in silence as the seconds ticked by.

Suddenly, Draco and Goyle both stiffened, obviously finding something. Goyle started shaking his head slowly while Draco's frown deepened. After a few moments, both Draco and Goyle opened their eyes. Goyle looked around the room in disbelief before breaking down, sobbing into his hands. Nott put a comforting hand on Goyle's shoulder as Draco motioned for Harry to follow him out of the room.

"What happened?" Harry asked as soon as the door closed.

"I think, it'll be better to show you.. Come on. Let's get Hermione for this too… she'll want to see this."

Confused, Harry followed Draco to where Hermione was waiting, hoping that whatever Draco saw was the answer to this whole ordeal.

* * *

 **A/N: Only about two more chapters to go. Eek! I have one written up and the other in the works...**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Eek! One more chapter to go after this!**

* * *

Harry, Hermione, and Draco stood around the Pensive in Draco's office.

"Ready?" asked Draco, as he poured the memory into the basin.

"I still don't see why you can't just tell me yes or no…" started Harry, but stopped when Draco glared at him.

"Will you just stick your head in there and see for yourself, please?" Draco said, motioning to the Pensive.

With an impatient sigh, Harry stuck his face into the bowl, followed by Draco and Hermione.

The three dropped into what seemed to be Theo's apacathery shop; empty except for Millicent standing in front of them and not Nott and Goyle standing behind them, a glazed look on their faces.

"If you're seeing this, then it means my husband and Theo have been caught. You're probably some ministry official going through their memories to try and find out information. Well, you can stop. I blocked everything so not even the likes of _you_ can see what happened."

Hermione and Harry looked at each other, then back to Millicent. Draco slipped a hand into Hermione's, squeezing it lightly.

"You see," Millicent continued, conjuring up a chair and sitting in it daintily, crossing her legs in front of her, " _I'm_ the one responsible for what happened to Granger."

Hermione gasped lightly as she put a hand to her mouth.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering _why_ ," Millicent continued, inspecting her manicured nails, "Why would I turn my husband and one his friends into other people and then torture the perfect, goody-two-shoes Hermione Granger? The answer is simple;" She looked up as if she knew exactly where they would be, "Payback. Oh, and also for the fact that I just can't stand her. I can't stand her _perfect_ hair, and her _perfect_ teeth, and her _perfect_ little petite body. Do you know how long it took for me to look like this every day?" she asked, gesturing to her body. She closed her eyes and sighed, "Did I go too far?" She opened her eyes and gave a slight shrug, "Probably, but I don't fucking care. The 'golden trio' has been in the lime light, even after all these years, and I'm _sick_ and _tired_ of hearing about how wonderful they are, and I'm even more tired writing about them." She glanced back up, her eyes full of rage, "But it's _their_ fault that my husband has nightmares about the death of his best friend almost nightly. And it's _their_ fault all of our parents are in Azkaban when they really didn't have a choice in what they did. Take my father for example; All he did was supply the Dark Lord with information. Sure, he had to imperious people sometimes, but he didn't kill anyone; He didn't torture anyone; But yet, he's in a cell, rotting away with the rest of the Death Eaters. At least he was able to do one good thing before he was taken though; he taught _me_ the art of the Imperius Curse. I've gotten really good at it too, as you can see." She gave a slight chuckle that turned into a cackle.

Harry gulped and shook his head, "She's gone mad..."

Her laughing stopped suddenly and she looked seriously into their eyes. "I've also been pretty good at potions. Not like anyone would _know_ that though, since all the teachers seemed to care about was how _fabulous_ Granger was at everything." She groaned and rubbed her temples. "I tried. I really did...I tried getting over it, or forgetting about it, but it ate away at me and it boiled up inside of me. I had to do _something_. And then... I met Greg. Oh my sweet, sensitive, Greg. He was a mess whenever I saw him in the pubs at night, drinking himself in a stupor. He probably still doesn't remember it, but there were many nights where it was _me_ who would take him home and he'd tell me his deep, dark secrets. He'd tell me how much he hated Potter and his friends; how it was _their_ fault that Crabbe used the fiendfyre that ultimately ended his life. If they hadn't come back to Hogwarts that night, that incident would have never happened. He vowed revenge and I swore I'd help him. But, by the next time I saw him, he'd forgotten that he had talked to me."

She swallowed hard, wiping away a tear, "When he stopped coming around the the pubs, I found out he was taking a class to study for his N.E.W.T.S. I decided to take the class too and this time and I was able to talk to him while sober. We would talk for hours and he'd actually remember the conversations the next day. I tried to talk to him about Crabbe but he would just shut down, so I stopped. We became close and eventually fell in love. We live a very happy life." She smiled wistfully into nothing, before shaking her head and hardening her features, "Well, except for the fact that he is still tormented every night with his dreams. That's when he got in contact with Theo, to get some Dreamless Sleep potion. They started hanging out and I realized this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at an Imperious curse on someone. It had been a while, you see, and I wanted to test if I had still the knack for it. Turns out, I did," she giggled like a little school girl at her announcement. "I had him make me simple potions before working his way up to the Polyjuice potion. At the time I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have some around. I got the idea late one night that it would be hilarious if someone used the potion to be Potter and Weasley and then tortured Granger, making her believe it was really them. Something about their little circle of friendship bursting into flames really had me giggling."

Draco shook his head in disgust, squeezing Hermione's hand and looking over Harry, who had gone pale.

"But first, I had to get some of their hairs." She smirked, "I saw that Susan Bones girl and the freckled face Weasley out to lunch at _my_ favorite bistro. Without thinking too much about it, I cast a simple Imperio on her, commanding her to get the hairs discretely, then owl them to me. Worked like a charm! Poor girl didn't even know what she was doing." She tsked under her breath. "The rest is pretty simple. I imperiused Theo to make the potion, then imperiused both Theo and Greg to take it. I figured even though they would never admit it, they would love the fact that they were getting revenge on those who took their families away from them. I ordered them to turn to their Purebreed roots and treat that filthy mudblood the way she should be. I erased all their memories after the fact, of course. Didn't need them feeling guilty for something they had every right to do…"

Hermione was crying silent tears as she listened to Millicent talk. Draco let go of her hand and placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "She's wrong," he whispered.

"I don't know if I can hear any more.." she whispered back.

"There's only a moment more… then we can be done."

She nodded, closing her eyes tightly as she listened to the rest.

"It was Theo who broke through the Imperious somehow. He's the one who took Granger and dumped her in the alleyway. Then he came to our place, looking for Greg that night, covered in her blood and shaking from head to toe about what he had seen and done. I had to erase his memories, of course; I was getting pretty good at that by then. I was mad though, that she got away so soon, so I gave Greg some more Polyjuice and had him go to her house as Potter, trying to lure her out. She saw right through it though and he almost got caught. I told myself to just forget about it and that she had paid enough for her misgivings...Until I saw her, happily eating a sandwich in the same place as us just only a half hour ago."

She took a deep breath in and nearly growled out her exhale, "The rage I feel when I see her… it burns. I _need_ to ebb it or it will eat me away. I have to do something." She looked down and sighed, "I've imperiused Theo and Greg again. I'm talking to them now, they just don't know it. I know… that this time, they'll be caught. I don't know why.. I just do." She looked up with sadness in her eyes, "Don't send them to Azkaban, please. I deserve to go, I know, but... I won't. I refuse. Don't bother looking for me either; by the time you see this, I'm already gone. Tell Greg… tell Greg I love him… and… and that I'm sorry. As for the baby… I miscarried a few days ago and hadn't had to heart to tell him yet…It's better this way-"

Hermione pulled herself out, not wanting to hear anymore. Draco and Harry soon followed behind. They stood quietly, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Hermione put a hand to her chest and breathed heavily, trying to calm her emotions. Draco gathered her up and held her close, "We'll find her."

Harry nodded, "We will, 'Mione. I don't care if it takes days, weeks, or years; we'll find her."

Hermione nodded, "I know. I know you'll find her. It's just… I don't understand how… how she can do this? I mean… she hated me _so_ much that… she had her own husband _rape_ me? I mean.. I just can't…who _does_ that?"

"A very crazy and desperate person, that's who," said Draco angrily.

Harry sighed, "That, and, there's probably some psychological issues underneath it all.."

Draco snorted, "Yeah, probably from all the inbreeding..." Harry and Hermione both gave him a look. "What?" he asked. "It's true. Her parents are basically cousins."

"Either way," said Harry, "We'll find her."

"Theo needs to see this…" said Hermione, looking at the two men, "He needs to know that this wasn't his fault. He also needs to know that he got me out of there the first time…"

"He will, love, he will," said Draco, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm going to head back to the Ministry and file the report to start the search for Millicent," Harry said as he grabbed his cloak, "You two have done enough for today. Draco?" he said, extending his hand to the man, "Thank you."

Draco took Harry's hand, "Yeah, uh, no problem."

Harry gave them slight grin before stepping away, ready to turn on the spot.

"Oh, Harry," said Draco, "Tell that wife of yours that now that this is all over, it doesn't mean she can skip on desserts when we come over for dinners."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head, "I'll pass along the message. Take care of Hermione, yeah?"

"I think I can take care of myself, thanks" said Hermione hotly crossing her arms. She smiled then, before launching herself into Harry for a hug, nearly knocking him over, causing the three of them to laugh some of the tension away.

* * *

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Draco asked again.

"For the last time Draco, yes, I'm sure," Hermione said, putting the finishing touches on the table settings. The doorbell rang and Hermione looked up and gave him a nervous smile, "Besides, it's too late to turn back now."

Draco leaned over and gave her a light kiss before twining his hand into hers, walking over to the door and opening it for their guests.

"Theo, Greg. Glad you could make it," said Draco, opening the door wider to let in his friends.

"Thanks for having us," said Greg, his smile hesitant. "I brought sparkling cider…"

"That's perfect, Greg, thank you," Hermione said, taking the bottle.

"And, these are for you," said Theo, handing Hermione a bouquet of daisies.

"Oh, they're so pretty, thank you Theo," she said, giving him a smile. He gave a hesitant smile back and nodded.

"Where's _my_ flowers?" asked Draco, smirking to try and ease some of the tension.

"Sorry mate, only pretty flowers for pretty ladies," said Theo with a wink to Hermione, causing Hermione to giggle.

"Hey, no hitting on my girlfriend, especially in front of me," Draco said, glaring playfully at his friend.

Hermione rolled her eyes then addressed the two men still standing near the doorway, "Why don't we go into the dining room and I'll open this up," she said, indicating to the cider.

The men followed her and took their seats as she opened the cider and conjured up four glasses. She magicked the bottle to pour itself as she took her own seat next to Draco, their hands automatically reaching for each other, linking. When everyone's goblets were filled, she raised her glass, the three men following, "To.. old friends.. And new ones. And for… forgiveness," she said.

Theo and Greg lifted their glass and mumbled, "to.. Forgiveness."

After Hermione she took a sip of her drink and set the glass down and looked at Theo and Greg, giving them a kind smile, "I wanted to have you both over today to say that.. Well, I know what happened wasn't your fault. I've known since I saw the memory…." They both shifted uneasily in their seats as she continued, "I want to get to know you. Really know you, both. You're friends of Draco's and I don't want things awkward between all of us."

"You may have forgiven us," said Greg, looking into his goblet, "But I'm not sure I forgive myself yet."

Theo nodded, "Yeah... "

Hermione sighed, "And I understand, I really do. But when you're ready, I'll be here."

"Besides," said Draco cutting in, "You don't really want me to have Potter and the Weasley's as my only friends, do you?"

Greg let out a chortle, "Well, it _is_ kind of funny…"

Draco balled up a napkin and threw it at Greg, "Sod off," he said laughing.

As the evening progressed, the uneasiness in the room started to melt away and conversations felt more natural instead of forced. Hermione found Theo quite charming and funny and Greg was really just a big ol' teddy bear now that he wasn't being one of Draco's lackeys from their Hogwarts days.

With a kiss on the cheek, and leftovers in hand, Hermione promised both men that she'd see them soon.

As the door closed, Hermione leaned against it, letting out a sigh, "That went better than I expected."

Draco smirked at her, pulling her close, encircling his arms around her waist as her hands linked behind his neck, "You did great. Thank you, for reaching out to them."

She went on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly, "Well, you put up with my friends, it's only fair that I put up with yours."

Draco scoffed, "My friends are _ten_ times better than yours."

Hermione quirked a brow, "Oh really? I think I might tell Ginny what you just said and see if slips you anymore leftover desserts you think I don't know about."

Draco paled, "You wouldn't."

Hermione threw him a cocky grin, "Try me."

His smile grew as his arms around her tightened, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder.

"Draco Malfoy," she said as he wound his way through the flat. "You put me down right now," she commanded through giggles.

"Alright," he said, as he dumped her onto the bed, her fit of giggles turning into full blown laughter. He jumped on top of her and she groaned sarcastically, but he muffled her with his mouth on hers, deepening the kiss. Her hands ran through his hair and down his back until she found the hem of his shirt and broke the kiss for only the amount of time it took to remove the article of clothing. Their kisses turned frantic as they tugged and pulled on each others clothes, tossing them all around the room.

She loved this. She loved the way he made her feel; his hands all over her. It had taken time, and few months of therapy sessions, to get the point where making love with Draco didn't dredge up old nightmares. Now she was free to enjoy herself… and him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he slipped into her, both moaning with pleasure at the contact. He moved his hips slowly as she tightened her legs around him, grinding herself hard. He took the hint and flashed her his signature smirk. He pulled out then slammed into her, rocking them both for a moment before doing it again. She came first, he always made sure, before he spilled himself into her.

Sated, sweaty, and with goofy grins on their faces, he rolled off her as his forehead rested on hers.

"I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you too," she sighed happily back.

"I want to marry you," he said, rubbing his nose against hers.

She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his, "Is that… are you proposing?"

He gave nod and licked his lips nervously, "I am… I don't.." he cursed softly, "I don't have a ring. I've been looking around, but I haven't found one that I think you'd like yet… I've been planning to ask you on your birthday, but-"

She silenced him with a kiss and smiled against his lips, "I don't need a silly ring, you daft man."

He smiled back, "Is that a yes then?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He kissed her again, soft and slow as they burrowed into the covers together. They talked quietly through the night before slowly drifting off to sleep, both dreaming of their future together and the family that they'd bring into this world.

* * *

 **A/N: So part of me really likes this chapter, the other part thinks it's a little anticlimantic for everything that happened. What do you think? I could have ended it here, but, we can't let the bad guy get away, can we? ;) One more to go!**

 **I do have a request for my dear, lovely readers... I need more plot ideas for future stories! If I get enough ideas thrown my way, I'll pick one to write and I'll even dedicate the story to the person who suggested it (You can either PM me or leave suggestions as a review).**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Omg, the last chapter! It's short, which I apologize for, but I think it ends well and didn't need anything extra.  
This story has definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions and I really enjoyed writing it and I really hope you all enjoyed reading it! **

**Remember, I am on the hunt for more Dramione plots/story ideas, so leave a review with yours or shoot me a PM and I'll pick one submitted to me for my next story!**

* * *

Millicent sat at the little outdoor cafe, sipping the fresh sun tea that the waitress just dropped off in front of her. She had been in Italy for a little over a week and absolutely loved it there. She knew she couldn't stay; she only allowed herself a week, two at the most, in one specific area before packing up and leaving. She wasn't sure how big of a manhunt there still was for her, even if it had been almost nine months since she ran off, but she wasn't about to risk it by getting comfortable.

She played with the ends of her short hair - it was blond this time - and contemplated what color she should go for next. Maybe a redhead, and lengthen it down her to waist with some slight curl to it. She smiled as she pictured how she would look.

A shadow fell over her and she didn't bother to look up as she picked up her glass. "I'm still good with my drink, thanks," she said dismissively.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not here to give you anything, though you surely do deserve it," said the man's voice, taking one of the available seats at the small round table she was at.

Millicent froze as she went to take a sip of her tea. With a sigh, she finished the task and set the drink on the table, "So how did you find me?" she asked, looking over at the blonde man next to her.

Draco accepted the glass of iced tea from the waitress who came around again and gave her a polite smile in return. He then looked to Millicent and gave her a shrug, "We've had suspicious about your whereabouts for a while now. You were spotted in Spain almost two weeks ago and once the Ministry was notified, they sent someone to tail you to make sure it was really you."

"And just how exactly did you do that?" she asked, slipping her hand slowly into her bag, her hand grasping the wand inside of it.

"Don't bother with your wand," said Draco absently, taking a sip of his tea, "It was replaced by a fake one about an hour ago. Besides," he looked into her eyes, anger flashing, "Where you're going, you won't need one."

Millicent huffed out an irritated breath as she pulled out the fake wand, giving it a wave to make sure what he said was true. When nothing happened, she tossed it aside. "So you found me. Good for you. You never explained how though."

"Well, for one, the waitress who brought out our drinks is actually an undercover auror. Say hi to Emily," he said, gesturing to the waitress off the side, who smiled and gave a small wave. "She's actually been your waitress a few times, in Spain and here, you just don't take care to notice those around you. We got your DNA from your cups to verify it was you. No amount of hair color changes and markings," he said, indicating to the small mole she placed beside her nose, "will change that."

She scratched off the fake mole, flicking it away. "Well, I have to give you props. How long until the cavalry gets here and arrests me?"

"Oh they're already here, just waiting for me to give them the signal."

She nodded, "I see." She shifted her eyes down momentarily, "And...how's Greg doing?"

"He's fine now, no thanks to you. Doing much better after a couple months of therapy sessions. He wanted me to give you this," he said, taking a packet from inside his cloak pocket, "Finalized divorce papers. Since you're a wanted criminal, he didn't need your consent."

Millicent picked up the packet carefully, opening it and reading through the papers inside. A tear slipped down her cheek, "I really did love him."

"Yeah? Well you have a funny way of showing it," Draco bit out. He turned and faced her, leaning close so he was practically next to her ear, "Potter thinks you may have psychological issues that attribute to what you did. I think you're just a bitch, but that's me. What you did to Greg.. and Theo, and Hermione… it's _despicable_. Did you know that what you did to Greg nearly killed him? He went back to drinking and even attempted suicide once...He had to get professional help... They all did. Hermione couldn't even be intimate-"

"I don't fucking care about Hermione Granger," Millicent bit out, more tears streaming down. "I hate her-"

"She's actually a Malfoy now. Or, will be once we get married," he said offhandedly.

She gave him a steely glare, "How could you? How could you go and marry that… that…mud-" he shot her a look that shut her up. She glared at him some more, "You disgust me Draco Malfoy-"

"No, _you_ disgust _me_ , Millicent Bulstrode. And I'm done here. I came to make sure you were arrested and know that you'll never be able to hurt Hermione, or anyone else, ever again." He snapped his fingers and instantly they were surrounded by jurors, wands pointed at Millicent. He watched as two of them hauled her up and bound her wrists before apparating away. Harry came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's finally over."

"Thank Salazar," muttered Draco.

"You going to tell Hermione today?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded, "Yes, later though, afterwards. I want her to enjoy this day without having to think about Millicent."

Harry nodded then glanced at his watch, "Speaking of…. You should really head back before she starts to wonder where you are."

Draco nodded, "Yeah. See you there?" he asked with a small grin, his hand out to Harry.

Harry grinned back, shaking the other man's hand, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

With a chuckle, Draco released the handshake. He gave a mock salute before turning on the spot and disapparating back to his and Hermione's flat.

"And just where were _you_ , Draco Malfoy? Not getting cold feet are you?" Hermione asked playfully. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her wedding gown spread all around her.

"Hermione!" he said, covering his eyes, "I thought it was bad luck for the groom to the see bride on the their wedding day."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she stood up and went over to Draco, pulling his hands away from his eyes, "And since when do I believe in such silly rules?"

He smiled down at her and kissed her softly, "I suppose you have a point." He stepped back and took in the sight of her. "You're stunning."

She blushed then motioning towards him, "You should probably change you know, unless you want to get married in your traveling robes. Which by the way, I wouldn't care either way, but your Mother might have a conniption."

"Well, wouldn't want that, would we?" He smiled as he slipped out of his traveling robe before going over to his closet and pulling his Wedding Robes out. Hermione watched as her soon-to-be-husband put them on, the steel grey of the suit matching the color of his eyes almost perfectly. She reached for his tie that was laying on the bed and walked over to him, slipping it around his neck and tying it herself.

He pressed his forehead to hers, inhaling her scent of lavender and vanilla. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, looking up at him. She tilted her head and gave him a soft smile, "So, are you going to tell me where you were?" she teased.

He chuckled, taking her hands and linking them with hers and nodded, "Of course. Later though." She gave him a curious look and he kissed her forehead, "You trust me, right?"

"Forever and always," she said, closing her eyes at the contact.

"Then trust me… I'll tell you everything tonight, when you lay in our bed as my wife. But just know… you're safe. You'll always be safe with me. Forever and always."

"Forever and always," she agreed with a nod. "Come on," she said, slipping away from him and heading towards the door, "Let's go get married."

He flashed her a grin, taking her extended hand, linking his with hers once again. "It will be my pleasure."

* * *

 **A/N: So, justice served and a happy ending for the couple. Yay!**

 **Thank you all for your wonderful support, whether it was through following/favoriting or leaving reviews. It's readers like you that give me motivation to keep writing.**

 **A huge thanks to my Huffle-twin, Sweet Little Bullet, who beta's for me and puts up with me bugging her to read the latest chapter almost daily. Couldn't have been able to update as often as I did without her!.**

 **And, since I didn't it at the beginning of the story, a big thanks to the queen herself, JK Rowling. All character are hers, I just like playing with them from time to time.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Much Love,**  
 **Hufflepuff Mommy**

 **PS Follow me on Twitter at HufflepuffMom82 - I try and post HP related things and even give a heads up to new stories about to be posted.**


	26. Chapter 26

Sorry to disappoint you all in thinking there was a new chapter, but I need add a note to this story to squash any misgivings about the integrity of this story.

It has come to my attention that there is another story out there, which was started before mine and finished right before mine did, that is very similar and I am being accused of plagiarizing their story. I swear on the life of my three children, that I didn't steal anything. I haven't even read the story nor heard of the author until she PM'd me. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove I am innocent so I just hope you all believe me when I say this story is 100% my own.

Below is the PM sent to me with the name of the story as well as the author. You can read them both for yourselves and come up with your own assumptions (I haven't, nor do I intend too).

 _Hello,_  
 _I'm a fanfic writer as well, and I've just received a guest review on the last story I've completed ('_ _ **Crawling back to you**_ _'), telling me that they have the impression they've just read the exact same story but written by you. I went on your profile and indeed, your story 'Trusting Malfoy' looks disturbingly like mine, especially in the details: memory loss, Hermione tortured by two Death Eaters at the beginning, Draco giving her 'Hogwarts a History' and a tear drop necklace, Nott and Goyle being their enemies at some point, etc. Your story is shorter than mine, and there are changes in the plot, and you use your own words. But nonetheless, that reviewer thinks you might have copied my plot. Moreover, you've published your story within one month (end of August - end of September) and completed it only once I've completed mine, on which I've been working since December 2015. So, I wanted to ask you about it. Thank you in advance for your answer._  
 ** _RunningQuill_**

* * *

On a more happier note, I am working on another, fluffier story. It's still in the beginning stages and I hope to start posting in a week or so.

Thank you for all your support,

HufflepuffMommy (Kari)

* * *

Added after published:

Thanks to the overwhelming support from both of our readers, who have all stated that they do not think any plagiarizing is happening, the other author no longer believes I stole her story. Her PM to me is as follows:

 _Hey again! So, according to the messages so far, most of the readers find our stories different except for some minor details or the main theme! So if they don't get the impression that they are reading the same thing, it works for me. :) I apologize for this disagreement, but I think you understand my protectiveness over my 'baby'! I hence admit that there was no plagiarism intended, and both our stories are original works. You can post this message for your followers to read, and I thank them as I thank mine for helping us to sort this out._

Thank you! Thank you!


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